Quest for the Truth
by Ghille Dhu the Blue
Summary: Twenty five years old, Naruto Uzumaki, a Fairy Tail mage, has a dark past from the days before he joined the Guild. He gets the job done, without making all the noise his guildmates do, but a mission request sparks off a sequence of events that requires him to remember his dark past, and reach beyond it, into the future, in order to find the truth of what happened seven years ago.
1. Chapter 1

Opening Words:

This is a teaser. Simply a way to see if: A- I could write this, B- It was satisfactory to readers, C_-_ I was bored. It is a little different than most the fanfictions of this type you will find. I've also left it that you won't know on his origins. He'll have the same people in his background, but you will not know if he is Earthland born, or did a little dimension travelling. Not yet anyway. It won't be a lingering mystery, it'll pop in when you least expect it. Please don't ask for an update soon, I most likely won't deliver, this is more of a one-shot that may be continued sometime in the future. Okay, looking back on this weeks later, I'm probably going to continue it. I'm definitely continuing it actually. I've hit on the perfect underlying character motivations, and I'm so excited! I don't know when the next chapter will appear, but it will appear. I promise you that.

Enjoy! - inserts smirk-

P.S My authors note are written over each time I open the word document, kind of progress marks. Also, it won't be as rapid scene scene change as in here, normally, this is simply to grab attention.

* * *

_My heart is ice..._

_Closed to love..._

_Ever since that terrible day.._

_Fairy Tail has brought light back into my existence_

Naruto closed his eyes, relaxing in the midst of the chaotic warmth that was the Guild known as Fairy Tail. Gulping back a tankard of beer, he was forced to place it down and jerk his head to the side in order to avoid a flying Natsu. The pink haired teenager had crashed into a table and was now jumping up to reenter the fray. Fairy Tail was a crazy place, but Naruto could not envision a better place to be. The constant repairing of the building was a pain, insurance was nearly impossible for the Fairy Tail Guild but the smiles, the laughter and friendship made it worthwhile.

Sometimes he wished that his guildmates knew the meaning of the word restraint. It was kind of cute how they couldn't step out the guild without destroying some historic building or another, then spent hours running from soldiers and getting scolded by who was probaby the worst of them all, minus Gildarts – Erza Scarlet. The red haired young woman was terrifying for some reason to all the other mages. Naruto didn't see what was so scary about her.

However, Naruto didn't go out on as much on missions as he used to. In his youth he could have given any of these hooligans the fight of their life, but at twenty five years of age, he was tired. In his life he had seen too much, so much conflict and for now he was content with his life in Fairy Tail.

Naruto was lonely. Despite being surrounded by people, in the bright warmth that was his Guild, he stood apart from the others. Neither as young and foolish as the teenagers, nor as old as the others, he had no one who he could relate to easily. He began to grin as he saw Elfman punch Natsu, who slammed right into Gray's bare stomach, who then ended up on top of Cana. He began to snigger as he stole Macao's beer, the older man occupied and the beer untouched. Draining it, he was growing even more amused as the free-for-all escalated further.

"Hey! Who the hell stole my beer?" Macao screamed as he got flung against a table, a crack happening at that moment, the table leg snapping off. "Wakaba, you bastard, it was you, wasn't it?"

"Me? Just becausr you can't keep your own damn drink, doesn't mean I took it, Macao." Wakaba responded, making a dive towards his best friend, tackling him to the ground, just as Macao finally managed to stand up, they then began to exchange a flurry of punches.

In order to avoid the next round of flying missiles, Naruto ducked his head, swivelled on his stool, caught the Master who got hit by the missiles larger than him and was almost sent flying. Naruto wondered Master Makarov would realise that a small man perching on a bar in Fairy Tail was not a good idea. As soon as Naruto placed him behind the bar, the old man hopped back up onto the bar, beginning to yell into the fray.

Somewhere from within the fray he heard Elfman Strauss bellow. "Like a man he takes it manly!"

Naruto chuckled, edging out towards the doors, having decided that now was the time to set out on the request he had picked out a few hours earlier, The sheet was crumpled in his pocket, burning to be completed. Once he reached the doors he turned around, staring into the eye of the chaotic storm that was Fairy Tail, affection surging through him body. He looked over the fighting and disaster prone mages and as he turned around said. "Be here when I return," it was only a whisper, within seconds he had walked out the door, his departure unseen and unacknowledged by anyone.

* * *

"Master Bob," Naruto said flatly, staring once more at his mission request, an eyebrow twitching in irritation. The Blue Pegasus Guild Master was a pain the ass, he was also fond of Naruto, always trying to poach him from Fairy Tail. The former Fairy Tail member didn't do it too seriously, but Naruto knew the offer was genuine. As a former member of Fairy Tail, Bob's Guild had an eternal alliance of sorts with Fairy Tail, even if the average guild members didn't know.

For once not speaking coyly as he was prone to do, the winged cross dresser looked at Naruto seriously. "Iwan Dreyar has been spotted, he is up to no good," Bob had known the young Dreyar, seen him grow up, and known of Makarov's torment at his son following a dark path out of greed for power. "Outside of Era, Naruto-kun, Makarov is blinded by his love for his son, he will not act unless forced to, but Iwan is too dangerous to be left roaming free!"

Naruto closed his eyes. He had a feeling that no matter his distaste at going behind the back of his Master, at the behest of another Master, he would seek out Iwan Dreyar. The blonde haired mage nodded. "What you ask of me is tantamount to the betrayal of my Guild. You know this, Master Bob, I don't like this. I don't like it at all. I'm not even an S-rank mage." He murmured.

Bob had steel in his eyes, despite his ridiculous get-up, this man was of Makarov's generation. He had earned his position as one fo the top mages, he had earned it in battle and experience. "No, you aren't, but what you are is beyond any of them. You may not have desire for fame, nor to be acknowledged as the strongest, but you are one of the most powerful mages that I have ever sensed, Naruto Uzumaki," the bald man said fiercely, " if anyone of Fairy Tail can stop Iwan's schemes, than it is you!"

"Very well."

* * *

Iwan Dreyar had a passing resemblance to Master Makarov, but other than that, Naruto couldn't see how the two Dreyar men could be related. Iwan Dreyar was undoubtedly powerful, but it was a disgusting oozing kind of magic, a digusting residue when Naruto extended his "Secret Sage Field" as Makarov had dubbed it. He had a large range with the ability to sense every living being. It made it difficult to concentrate however, because anything that was organic and living, it made an imprint as he searched. He was thankful for the ability, however, since he now knew that Iwan Dreyar wasn't alone.

"So that old fool has decided to send someone?"

Naruto straightened himself up, as he jumped off the roof that had given him his vantage point. He landed neatly before Iwan Dreyar. His Fairy Tail stamp on his right arm. "The Master didn't send me, I came of my own accord, traitor." His blue eyes surveying Iwan. "You betrayed your Guild, that cannot be forgiven, as per the mandate of any legal mage, as subscribed to by the Council, I'm here to stop you from committing any further crimes, whatever it takes." He said in a steady voice, giving none of his apprehension away.

The black haired man scoffed. "Whatever it takes? You'll have to kill me to defeat me." He answered, looking down on the slightly shorter blonde haired mage, clearly trying to gauge his strength.

Naruto stood silently. His blue eyes unwavering as they met Iwan's own. No change in expression, or hesitation in continuing.

"You aren't the typical weakling that the Old fool gathers," the Dark mage finally said, his dark eyes glittering with unconcealed interest.

"We have different definitions of weak, Iwan Dreyar," Naruto answered, wishing he could punch the man, to insult the Master was something he could not stand for. Master Makarov was like a father to all of the mages under his command. Every single one of them in Fairy Tail loved him, and the man before him had scorned on that love, that his own father had given him. "Nevertheless, give yourself up, and you may be given lenience in your sentence, but if you refuse, then under _Dark Mage Elimination Act, _I am authorised to use deadly force in any confrontation with an illegal mage."

A laugh like jagged glass filled Naruto's ears. "You truly are no Fairy, threatening me with an Act, one that is against the laws of the Guild, that fool would strip you of the mark and you would be like me, ex-communicated. It has been done for less than killing." Iwan smirked as he looked at the blonde mage.

"Former Head of Elite Knight Division," Naruto stated, "I was the youngest to rise to the rank, at eighteen years of age, with two years of joining up, Iwan Dreyar."

The eyes of the Dark mage widened a fraction, a smirk crossed his face, as more confidently he moved forwards. "The sole survivor, I remember now, Naruto Uzumaki, they never found out what decimated all fifty of the mages, of which only you survived. "

He clenched his fists, nails digging into the flesh of his palm, he knew what Iwan was going to go on with the newly discovered vulnerability. Only Makarov, and Gildarts Clive were aware of that, of the events that had led him to Fairy Tail. "Enough! That is irelevant, Iwan Dreyar. Will you give yourself into custody?"

Hundreds of doll-like Shikigami appeared behind the ex-Fairy Tail mage.

"Get him, my Shikigami."

A sword appeared in Naruto's hands as he raised it and braced for the attack.

Grunting he put all his weight behind the blade, before realising the fine control that Iwan Dreyar had on them, they could interact independently of one attack, at least two thirds of them had came to attack him at his undefended sides. "Spiraling Sphere: Wind Blades!" He snarled, sending all of them flying backwards, sliced in half and disappearing, as the sword was replaced with an orb that when initially thrown, split apart, seemingly failing, but in fact invisible.

From behind. He thought as he spun around and raised his leg to block the kick from a masked mage. One of the presences that he had detected initially. Naruto grabbed the mans leg, and using the mans own momentum, sent him crashing into the hide-out. Just in time to summon his sword and cut the red hair that had began to twist around his legs. Oh, shit. He thought as he elbowed another attacker in the face, hearing the satisfying crunch of a nose breaking.

From all around him, more of the peons belonging the the Guild that Iwan had reportedly set up were coming out, he grit his teeth as he realised that he had been trapped in Iwan's speciality, Illusion Magic. Naruto had never been able to combat it well, and the entire time, as soon as his presence had been noted, he had been in the middle of a trap being created.

A wrenching agony skidded through his body.

White burning fire as something met with his ribs, then his gut, and blood left his mouth in a wet cough.


	2. Chapter 2

A\N: Having internet troubles, which explains the wait for this chapter. The actual actions begins in the next chapter, after all this, so apologies if you find this boring. I am using my friends internet to get this chapter up, so my updates may be sporadic, but I do have several chapters ahead nearly finished.

1. Pairings are not important in this, and Naruto will not be with Mira or Erza. Sorry, but I'm not going to be having a focus on pairings. There may be slight references to romance, but this isn't the focus. I reserve the right to change my mind.

2. Chapter length will be 2000 words plus. I always aim for more, but sometimes it will be only around 2000.

* * *

Only fools lingered on a battlefield that couldn't be conquered. Naruto happened to be one of those fools, he would have preferred to blame it on outsider influences on his personality, but in the end it was all down to pride that had landed him here. His pride and anger had led him into letting his guard down, he had underestimated and overestimated Iwan Dreyar, and this was the result.

The one working hand that he possessed glided over his scalp, searching for the thick blonde spikes that no longer graced the mostly smooth skin. Fingertips gingerly traced raw raised scars. His hair was gone. His dominant hand nothing more than a stump of thick white bandages, secured in a sling. He knew the hand was there, he could feel it, it was just so thickly bandaged that it looked like a blob in place of it.

He had woken up two days earlier, no one had spoken to him at all, and his patience was waning at an alarming speed. Bound in a bed, his own body refusing to work with him, enchained by his own physical limitations to a bed. Healing burns on his chest were suffocated under thick wads of fresh gauze several times daily, healing at a sluggish pace, his arm itching underneath the bandages irritated him more than he had ever thought possible.

Trapped in a world of silence, of which only he seemed to mind, he glared as yet another grim faced medic strode into the white washed four walls that hid him from the outside world.

"I'm right here, you know," he snapped as once again the man just checked the chart hanging on the end of the bed. Naruto had failed to succeed in peeking at it despite several attempts since he regained consciousness. He couldn't get enough mobility to stretch out and grab it, the most he could do was sit up, propped by pillows, and move one arm that felt a little heavy.

Nothing once again. Swearing under his breath, something that prompted only a raised eyebrow by the man, who by now was scribbling an annotation to Naruto's chart.

_Patient possesses full access to expletive memory bank._ He thought that was maybe what the man was writing, he hoped so, then the next one to enter his room would find themself getting a glimpse into how intact his memory of some choice swear words were. He couldn't stand being stuck in the whitewashed room, the stench of disinfectant cloying and headache inducing. There was not a single window, not another patient as far as he could tell, and any attempts to charge himself with his power simply made him have to replace a high pitched scream of pain with a mere admission of pain, a grunt.

Pain couldn't kill you, showing weakness did. His stomach growled, the ravenous vulcan that was his stomach, demanding food. Naruto Uzumaki, defeated by his own stomach, it was a classic situation for him. He craved something that wasn't reminiscent of some memorable stale field rations - which he hadn't known could expire - that he had consumed years ago. The dug-out latrine ditches had been popular that night. Naruto hadn't been particularly popular that night for inadvertently giving his entire squad the ailment known as 'the runs'.

As if by magic, both his wishes were answered, and there hadn't even been a shooting star. The male placed the chart down, turned to Naruto, raised an eyebrow and curved his lips into an amused smile. "Your meal will be here shortly, Commander," he informed Naruto in a pleasant rumble of a voice. "I am Chief Medic, you gave us all quite a fright, Commander." He paused, pupils dilating a little, lost in some memory, then suddenly shaking his head, a small noise of depreciation. "We thought you were beyond our help, so imagine our surprise when you survived the journey here, and go on to survive the night. It wasn't our expertise that kept you alive, you've got an interesting ability, although I'm sure we helped in no small way."

"Awesome, wait, did you say Commander?" Naruto had been so distracted by the promise of food, that he had overlooked how he was addressed. "I'm not a Commander anymore. I haven't been for a long time, not for years." He frowned as suspicion dawned on him, he had been outside of Era, and he recognised the symbol adorning the medic, he had once worn it himself.

Slightly abashed, the man chuckled. "My apologies, I treated you once before, you probably don't remember, you weren't exactly aware at the time," he peered into Naruto's face, frowning as Naruto seemed to deflate. "I am Chief Medic of the Rune Knights, Commander. I was only a junior when I treated you after the tragedy that claimed the lives of your men-" he broke off when he noticed the dark gaze that Naruto was directing at him. "You've been recalled."

He didn't react, not a flinch, nor verbalising his feelings as those words sent a punch to his gut. He suddenly didn't feel so hungry anymore, a sour taste rising into his mouth. Why was everything revolving around something that was in the past? His eyes closed and he pressed his back right into the pillows that propped him up. "No." He stated firmly. He had resigned, the paperwork had been sent in, he had been declared mentally unfit for duty, his psyche too scarred for him to be permitted anything but a desk job. He'd walked out that same day. Still on medical leave, he'd taken the remainder of that time to resign, and hadn't looked back.

The trundling of wheels caught his attention, meal time had arrived.

"Clearly I've distressed you, once you've eaten, I'll see about getting a sedative, it will hamper your healing if you are, er, unhappy." The man said, clearly unnerved at the unexpected fierce and negative reaction from Naruto.

Naruto growled, clenching his one mobile hand into a fist, slamming it against the mattress of his bed. "Unhappy...right. There is an understatement, Chief. They can't do this to me, dammit. I'm a licensed Guild mage."

The man offered a sympathetic smile. "I advised against it, Commander. It may only be temporary, in times of upheaval like this, with the Council newly reformed, they need good men like you."

Scoffing, he jerked his head to the side. "Men like me, Chief, aren't what they need. Me, I'm a Fairy Tail mage, we don't like the Council, and they don't like us."

* * *

Magnolia was welcomed into a new day with grey skies, a chill wind, and sheets of rain. It was no surprise that the inhabitants had forgone any unneccessary ventures out, remaining in the comfort of their own homes, several independent shopkeepers following the trend, and remaining closed. The boatmen remained away from the water, making Magnolia seem empty, without having them out in the water.

A carriage sped through the cobbled street. Halting only outside of Fairy Tail Guild, people braving the rain, wandered out from their homes to see what was going on. Stepping out from the carriage, a armoured figure, proudly adorned with the colours and symbol of the Council stepped in. He was an impressive figure. Tall and a solid block of muscle, serious eyes staring straight ahead, right into the Fairy Tail members who were exiting the Guild and standing crammed together, a show of unity.

"Captain Nawaki Millemain, Third Rune Knight Squad, here to deliver message to Wizard Saint Dreyar."

* * *

When his eyes had first opened, the light hard hurt them, as if he had spent years in darkness. He had blinked slowly, struggling to adjust the bright light. It had taken a while, but his eyes had remained open, burning from the exposure to light. Naruto had unwisely found himself nearly toppling from the bed, aggravating his injuries, now that he thought about it, he'd been quite aggressive. Oh, that probably explained why the staff had been maintaining silence. Funny how he'd forgotten that. Disorientated and in more pain than he had ever been in his life, he found himself thinking about Fairy Tail - that was all he thought about.

His perchance for lengthy missions had caused him to miss a lot. He still felt lower than dirt for not being there when Phantom Lord had destroyed the Guild. The phantom fist plunging into his gut when he had arrived to find his home in the midst of substantial repairs. Initially he had began to fill his lungs in preparation of yelling at Natsu and the others, sure that it had been a fight gone terribly out of control, but then felt sick with guilt that he hadn't been there when the kids of the Guild led the charge. He was never there when it counted.

He had avoided Levy, Jet and Droy ever since.

He'd been brooding back then, just as he was lying in a bed brooding now. He'd try to bypass the brooding in bed, instead brooding out of bed, but as his now very vocal personal medic acidly informed him, none too impressed. "We didn't spend hours trying to keep you alive, for you to kill yourself with even more stupidity." He'd preferred the man when he had chuckled too much; something that at the time had driven him to gritting his teeth, which had miraculously escaped anything more damaging than chips.

His pride had taken a beaten, one that could be compared to what Natsu would look like, after challenging and fighting all of the Wizard Saints at once. The fact was, seven years ago, Naruto could have been one of them. If he'd gone as he'd been going seven years ago, Naruto could've been on the Council instead of that traitorous bastard with the blue hair.

Being back in a bed, was just like what had prompted his decision to leave the rank of Commander, and shelter himself from the memories. He had made new ones, and found himself at peace, or as at peace as his guilt would ever allow him to be, while proudly wearing the mark of Fairy Tail. However, despite how much happier he found himself, soaking in the warmth and youthful glee that even the most ancient member of Fairy Tail carried and passed about, he had never allowed himself to really be himself.

The Naruto Uzumaki of seven years ago would never have ended up defeated like this.

That confrontation with Iwan should have gone in a different direction.

* * *

_Fire scorched his skin._

_Burning flames of white, outlined in blue, and oddly pretty in appearance from the one horrified glance he spared them. His eyebrows were singed, his stomach covered in a dancing blanket of those strangely pretty flames. He was coughing up globlets of blood as well. It didn't slow him down too much; no more than all of Erza Scarlet's armour and weaponary collection piled on top of him would. The smokey barrier surrounding him was being infiltrated with more new arrivals. Naruto ripped the burning shirt off, thankful that he wasn't the one on fire yet._

_The fire may only be restricted to burning the discarded scraps of which had once been his shirt, but the damage had been done, superficially at least to Naruto. Iwan Dreyar truly was Makarov's son, he was as difficult as Makarov could be at times. Naruto furled his brow, fending off attacks on autopilot, he was pushing the pain of his injuries into a hidden dimension. He had to fight through them. He was embarrassed really in letting this get to that point. He was Naruto Uzumaki, a consumnate survivor. He probably wasn't the strongest around, but he was certainly the one who would survive, he wasn't afraid to get things done._

_Growling he had foregone his magic and was settling in for a good brawl. He was furious, he wanted to hurt Iwan, he had brought up unhappy memories, and Naruto Uzumaki didn't want to remember them. "Demon Soul Takeover: Kurama!" He screamed as his body transformed, he hadn't used this form, he had never used this form like this, but he had the memories of how to utilise it._

_Red slit eyes stared as he twisted his body around, glaring into the frozen mages, the lackeys of Iwan Dreyar._

_They came at him, those that had gotten over their fear, but it was for nothing. Naruto could send them flying with just a flick of a tail, smashing against whatever was in the way of the trajectory. Time and time again, he felt something piercing the shroud of magical energy, but it didn't hurt, so he didn't care. The esctasy of anger and desire to hurt, was brought forth, and in control of his actions. He wanted Iwan._

_Everything blurred at that point._

_It seemed like only seconds when he found himself standing with only willpower, staring at a body that was painted with blood. It was his body. He saw Iwan, and he tried to run forwards, after the man. He could, only falling face first on the ground, right beside the hideout. Iwan was fleeing. Supported by his elbows, he tried to drag himself closer, he couldn't let Iwan get away. He couldn't let him win! He could hear the pounding of armoured boots, just as he forced himself up, biting his cracked lips to quell the screams of agony that threatened to burst out._

_He was moving closer. He extended the one hand that would move, focusing as he tried to bring forth one last attack._

_Then awareness departed as an explosion of fire, debris and pain rocked his body, and he knew nothing more, but a desire to get Iwan._

* * *

Standing by the door, as grim faced as ever, Guran Doma, a man that Naruto both simultaneously hated and admired stood. "Isn't this below the Chairman of the Magic Council? Visiting a disgraced ex-Knight, and member of Fairy Tail Guild." He couldn't help but try and goad reaction from the man, he had always been in the shadows, a legend amongst the higher ranking members of the Knights' and here he was in his hospital room.

The elderly man didn't deign to respond in kind. He just stared at Naruto, not moving at all, staring at Naruto and taking his measure. "I would not use the word disgraced in describing you, Commander Uzumaki, you are a member of my ranks, and I say you have a duty to take up." he spoke in an even tone, nothing given away, he just kept staring at Naruto.

"A duty you've forced on me," Naruto protested, furiously. "Do you lack honour? My arm shows my allegiance to Fairy Tail. I am not a Council stooge...not any longer. I won't bow down because you tell me to do so. Don't you get it? I'm a member of Fairy Tail."

"What of the blood of your men? The men whose blood has seeped into the earth, mingling with your own shed blood. In life you called then brothers, and in death, they remain your brothers. Do they not deserve justice to quell their cries for those who killed them to be brought to trial? Will you Naruto Uzumaki deny them what you could give them? One final gift." Guran Doma had known exactly what vulnerabilities to stab into, he spoke in the same even tempered voice, but the inflection of disgust was there.

"They..they would understand, " he shouted, hesitant. His unbandaged hand trembling violently. Tremors wracking his entire body. "I tried. I did everything I could for them. They know. They understand."

"Yet you still failed them, didn't you?"

The Chief Medic stepped forwards, having somehow gone unnoticed by Naruto. "Chairman, you are out of line. I cannot have my patient under undue stress, please, desist."

"I won't fail now," Naruto finally stated. His body still, blue eyes of steel staring straight ahead.

The Councillor's lips curled into a satisfied smirk. "Welcome back, Commander Uzumaki. Recover quickly, your new duties will require you to be in top form. You will be my blade, Commander. In order to regain the trust that we have lost; we will strike down each and every Dark Guild, they will have no where to run, to hide, for you will find and eliminate any threat." He nodded, his gaze never faltering.

Naruto was being given untold resources, a licence to eliminate with impunity all the smears to the happy lives of the citizens. Yet, what it would require of him was leaving the one place that he felt human at. Could he really leave Fairy Tail? He tried to reason that he didn't have much of a choice, did he? "I will require leave to settle my affairs in Magnolia, Guran."

The eyes of the elderly man didn't narrow at the informal address. "It is already taken care of, Captain Millemain has dealt with everything, your personal effects will be brought to Era, and your home has been signed over to me. I am not a cruel man, young man. You understand what is at stake, why I must do what I must, why I must use you?" He told Naruto without missing a beat.

"What is one man." Naruto answered, a bitter undertone. He was being given a lot of resources and power, but he wasn't important, what he was going to be doing was important, and Guran Doma needed a renegade that he could reign in - Naruto Uzumaki was the perfect choice.

Guran smiled. "Exactly, Commander, exactly."

Naruto swallowed as the man went on and began to outline his privilages and manpower. He had been played like a finely tuned instrument, by a skilled musician. Naruto didn't know if he was doing the right thing, not when it felt so wrong.


	3. Chapter 3

The Writer Says: Critical reviews I will take, but downright abusive comments, I will not. You don't like it, don't read it, because I'm not writing for you. On that note, I will do my best to not repeat, and when I get the opportunity edit, to fix the apparent problem a couple of have mentioned. I guess I lied about action in this chapter, but I hope I managed to clarify things down to those who found themselves confused. It wasn't the original chapter, but I salvaged a few scenes. Next update may be around the weekend.

* * *

Shifting his grip on the pen, a utensil that even after nine years of using constantly, still felt foreign in his rough hands. Calloused and scarred, his hands bespoke of his combative nature, not soft and ink stained like the hands of Lucy, Levy and even Mirajane. He flexed the hand, still amazed at the movement, his hand was still quite pale, from being encased in bandages for what seemed like an age. The important thing was that he didn't feel any impediment to movement in the hand. A specialist who had taken the time to speak with Naruto had basically said, from what little Naruto had bothered to listen to, that he might find some difficulty in dexterity.

That had been enough for him. Naruto was walking and that meant he was good enough to go. So he had found out, by eavesdropping another patient, speaking to a pink haired Medic whom was none other than Sakura Haruno, or Sakura Rocks as her name tag read, could sign himself out. He hadn't meant to listen in, but seeing Sakura, alive and well, it was had to tear his eyes off her. Absolutely enthralled to note that she had the same forehead, long garish pink hair, darker than Natsu's, and bright green eyes. She was also quite round around the middle. That wasn't like the Sakura he had known.

It was almost like he remembered; which was good enough for him.

Except she turned around, to file the forms, freshly signed and smiled politely at him, as if he was a stranger to her. It was a blow to the gut for Naruto, she was Sakura, no matter how different she acted. The Sakura he knew would have shoved a patient trying to leave without the approval of a Medic back into bed, if it was Naruto, she'd have punched him in the head. Well, if he wanted out of here, he better finish the form, he thought with a sigh.

_Do you understand that if any complications occur, this Medical Facility cannot be held accountable? Please tick the appropriate box._

Naruto did as it said, skipped through the rest and simply scribbled his name at the line on the bottom, dumped it on a desk.

"Later, Chief!" He called out, throwing a glance behind his shoulder as the man in question began to run after him.

* * *

It took nearly an hour after he escaped from the prison known as a place of healing, for Naruto to make his first stop to a 'Ayame's'. The small stand which had quadrupled in size over seven years, and was now a proper restaurant, with indoor and outdoor seating, still had the same homey atmosphere that had made this his favourite place to eat. Saliva pooled in his mouth, as he stepped through the door way, and was hit by the smell of his favourite meal. He saw Ayame immediately, and was taken aback. She looked so much older.

Fine lines had began to frame tired eyes, and Naruto had saw his own picture, several of his pictures framed on the walls. It had been seven years since he had seen Ayame, he had sent birthday cards, and the odd letter, but Naruto wasn't very good at writing letters, and had avoided it. Ayame must be nearly thirty now, he realised, surprised, she was only a few years older than him.

"Ayame..." He began, not sure what to say, the brown haired woman he had long considered a sister put down her notepad, began to dive towards him, her face brightening up and punched him.

"Seven years and you have not shown your face once, Naruto," she yelled. "I've known you for years, you are family, and yet you couldn't visit? I am so mad, Naruto Namikaze!" Normally mild mannered, seeing her so angry, made him flinch a little beneath the anger.

Naruto winced, not for the punch which he deserved, but at the Namikaze. He'd never used that name, because he had never known the Wizard Saint Minato Namikaze, and didn't feel an attachment to his name. Of course, Ayame only knew him really by that name. However, he felt warmth disperse itself through his chest, as Ayame stopped venting and wrapped her arms around him. Head resting against his chest, and her hair tickling her nose.

She sniffed. "I was worried, Naruto, one day you just stopped coming and a couple of months later you send three lines of writing. You missed my wedding, I wanted you at it, you were all I had besides Dad, and he died years ago."

Huh, Ayame had married? He pulled away from her and noticed that Ayame had a bulge underneath her apron. He wasn't so dense not to realise that Ayame was pregnant. "I had to come to terms with a lot of things. It was stupid, Ayame. I was an idiot. It won't ever happen again. " He promised, meaning it. Seeing Ayame standing there, older, married and expectant, made him realise how much he had missed. "So, who do I have to threaten about hurting you?" He teased, feeling so much more lighter, and secretly dying to know who won the heart of Ayame.

She blushed, vividly. Naruto had never seen Ayame blush like that, nor clasp her hands together and beam so brilliantly that Naruto was tempted to close his eyes out of fear of his eyes being burnt. She was glowing like he had never seen her before.

"His name is Chouji, and he is a Rune Knight like you used to be, Naruto. He is so big and strong, but gentle. My Chouji never has a bad word to say about anyone."

Chouji Akimichi. Naruto felt a light smile cross his face, knowing Ayame was in good hands; large hands, but kind ones, all the same. It seemed while many things had changed from what he had known, others stayed the same. "Aah, that is where you are mistaken," he began, a little boasting entering his voice and stance. "I've been reinstated, I'll be stationed here in Era, Ayame. I've been promoted actually, I answer directly to the Chairman."

Despite being a woman of nearly thirty, happily married and pregnant, Ayame squealed like a young girl, when he told her. "Naruto, that means you have no excuses for not visiting. You'll be a great Uncle when the baby comes. Dad would be so proud of you, he always said you'd be great!"

Uncle, huh, that sounded strangely nice. Just like when in Fairy Tail, her warmth and joy infected him, perhaps to greater effect. She was warm and accepting, a shard of a past he had thought to discard, and make it easier on himself to move on, but he found himself responding to her as if time hadn't passed. "Yeah, look at you though, you've reached your dream, Ayame, I'm proud of you." He complimented her, hoping to turn the conversation back towards her, he had missed out on too much.

"Yeah, I guess I did, especially now that you are home, Naruto," she smiled fondly, and in another mood swing, wagged her finger in his face. "We'll talk later, I've got work to do, just because I'm glad to see you, doesn't mean I've forgotten why I was mad."

Home, it sounded good. He grinned and slung an arm around her shoulders. "How about some beef ramen, to make it more like old times?" He grinned, stomach rumbling, and Ayame giggling as he stared at her unabashed, flickers of delight dancing throughout him. Being back here, he could almost pretend, forget all the things that weighed down on his shoulders.

* * *

It was all business now. His earlier high spirits had evaporated upon being directed to an office, it was a large office, windows covering the entire right wall, making it less enclosed than it might have been. There was even a name plate declaring his ownership. The best thing was the swivel seat, which he eyed with no small bit of glee, although he was trying to contain himself, from his newly appointed assistant.

He seated himself and gave her the remainder of the day off. Now, all he had to do was go over the last three weeks, because he was beginning to find it difficult to believe that here he was again. Naruto had taken a mission, it had been sent by the Blue Pegasus Master, and he suspected an illegal compulsion charm tailored to him had been on it, now that he thought about it. Before they had been outlawed, Bob had been quite the charmer, as far as Naruto could remember from his file. At that, he was already planning on how to teach the meddling old man a lesson.

Secondly, he was embarrassed at how easily he had been tricked by the slippery coward, Iwan Dreyar. Rune Knights of Naruto's calibre were highly skilled, and his additional years as a Guild mage had only served to hone his abilities. Thirdly, he had failed in his mission, probably because the hideout of Iwan's thugs had been rigged to explode, and Naruto had been caught in it, and knocked out for the count. Lastly, the Rune Knights had came to his rescue, with a Medic team, who probably saved his life, and the Chairman Guran Doma had forcibly reinstated Naruto into his ranks. He hated that white bearded, stick carrying, wrinkly assed old man.

He'd been out for nearly a week, partially due to lots of sedatives. Spent a further four days healing, thanks to his own special brand of healing powers, and by the fifth day of being awake he had began a boot camp of light training as prescribed by Chief Medic to help his body get back into fighting fitness. So what now? He was given unlimited resources, all for the purpose of eliminating all dark activity, he was in other words Guran's dog on a leash. Guran Doma was no fool, he would regain the support of his administration, all by being sensibly proactive where the former Council had failed.

The problem with that was, well, Naruto Uzumaki wasn't a dog. He didn't subscribe to being ordered about, it was his way or the highway. That first thing he had done was eat lots of ramen, and charge it to the Council account. That would teach Guran Doma in manipulating Naruto Uzumaki, and now he actually had things to do.

Personnel folders covered the desk. Naruto peered at the front page of the first, and chucked it in the trashcan. If a man was called Boo Sowers, would you hire him? The second far more interesting, the eyebrows of the man, they were nothing short of astonishing, and the noted teacher. Lee Rocks, twenty seven years old, former student of Guy Maito. He grinned, picked up a stamp and slammed it on the folder. He wanted the man.

Now he wondered if there was a Tenten here. He flicked through the files curiously, and to his surprise actually found her, but with an note referencing a recent admission to Mermaid Heel. An all female Guild, which sounded just about right if she was anything like the Tenten he had known. He wanted her, if he had to have a skeleton squad to command, then he would pick the best.

This freedom was strangely uplifting, even if it was only supposed to be the illusion of freedom, Guran Doma didn't know what he had unleashed. Out of the hospital, renewed with seeing Ayame again, he felt as if he could take on the world. He didn't intend to roll over when asked. He didn't want this, but now that he was here, he would use it so kids like Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster and all the others didn't suffer from the darkness brought about through the actions of illegal mages.

He glanced at a calendar, that was propped on his desk, and spat out the water he had been drinking, then at a clock that hung on the wall.

It was 1527 hours, October 10th, of the year x784, and exactly nine years since his world had changed. Naruto was twenty six today. He rubbed his eyes, placing down the folders, and just sat. It couldn't have been nine years, surely? It seemed both so much longer, and as if no time had passed by at all. He thought of Fairy Tail, and found himself wondering on how they would be doing, if he was back in Magnolia, there would have been a great party, lots of drinking, food and strange presents.

He was stuck in an office, trying to decide which of what seemed like hundreds of folders, would be strong enough to survive what he was going to be involving them in. Makarov had spoken often enough of how the Dark Guilds were aligned together, more and more often. The Guilds alone could not shoulder this burden in stopping them, they were still untainted with some of the darker realities that he had found himself floored by. It was that burning determination that uplifted him.

He had hit that epiphany in the hospital. Shortly after Guran Doma had left, the words that the manipulative old man had used on him, kept echoing inside his head. It was then that he realised that moping and brooding after so many years was making him a mockery of who he had sworn to be. Naruto Uzumaki didn't bend over and cry, he didn't back down and take a beating, he pushed forwards and gave the beating, and it was in that moment that he remembered the words of a wise man.

_The Will of Fire will burn forever within you!_

He had felt ashamed, but that would do nothing, so what he had to do was fix his mistakes. He had always done that as a kid, make mistakes and amend his mistakes. Why not now? He stood up from his seat and threw all the files that he gathered up into his arms in the bin. He wasn't meant to be stuck in an office, he was a mage, the Fairy Tail mark was still on his arm, which probably wasn't technically allowed, but Makarov held the power to cancel them out, and if the Master hadn't done so - the message was clear. No matter who he was working for, what he was doing, Naruto was still a member of Fairy Tail's family.

He was still a Fairy Tail mage!

Well, time to act like it.

He looked down at the uniform that Doma had probably had one of his numerous aides order, and knew that he wouldn't be wearing it, which meant only one thing - he had to see if his moist eyes and pout would still work on Ayame. Naruto sure as Zeref's latrine didn't want to go shopping, and if he gave her his exact measurements and lots of credits, then surely his sister figure would delight in an excuse to shop?

* * *

As it had turned out, Ayame had been delighted, except she had dragged Naruto out with her. Just because Naruto had forgotten his birthday initially, Ayame hadn't, and was keen to make up for all the missed birthdays over the years. He had an entire wardrobe now, which Ayame had promised to have embroidered with the insignia that adorned his actual uniform.

All of that had been two days ago.

He'd told his mousy assistant that he was going out on business, which he was, just not officially ordered business. So a couple of trains later, even if he could have commandeered some sort of vehicle, he found himself after a long and boring journey, outside the town where Mermaid Heel made its home.

He walked through the town, which had a very large female population, judging from the stores devoted to female fashion, a sense of foreboding hitting him right in the gut. There had been rumours about the Guild. He was sure they were only rumours, because no legal Guild would ever be permitted to get away with the content of the rumours, but he was still wary.

There was one thing that Naruto had learned over the years, was that females were deadly, it didn't matter what age, how they looked, or how powerful they really were. They were deadly. He knew that he could deal with just about anything thrown at him, the disaster that had caused him being back in the Council lackey ranks had been a fluke. Iwan Dreyar wouldn't have won in a fair fight, and it hadn't been a mage that had taken Naruto out, but an exploding building - which didn't count as a defeat. He'd find Iwan and his lackeys, and Naruto Uzumaki would pound them into dust and let them find out that Naruto had much more up his sleeves than the few tricks he had unleashed before.

Mermaid Heel was surprisingly not the pink, bunnies, lace and flowery type of building he had expected.

He made it to outside the door, straightened his black trench coat, he couldn't resist getting one like Gildarts owned, it looked cool and was pretty durable in a fight, considering Gildarts had owned the same one for years. Just above the heart, Ayame had embroidered in silver, a perfect copy of the insignia of the Council. He took in a deep breath, and opened the door.

About twelve females turned to stare at him.

"Commander Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm here to see Tenten Steeling, it is important. So I'd really appreciate it if you could point me on my way to finding her, ladies." He had finally managed to say.

"What do you want with Tenten?" A curly haired woman demanded, standing up and waltzing over to Naruto, sticking her face right up at his.

Naruto blinked, and then looked at the woman again. "What do I want with you, don't you mean?" He prodded at her, because he was pretty sure, bar the curly hair, that he was staring at Tenten Steeling.

Narrowed brown eyes peered right through Naruto, the woman crossed her arms underneath her breasts, and raised her chin, defiantly. "Well, what do you want? It can't be because you want to join Mermaid Heel, we are a female Guild, and I don't know you. So what do you want? You can say it in front of us all, or not at all." She was very hostile as she spoke.

"I want to hire you. You specialise in Wind Magic and Weapon Magic, you use a form of Requip and formerly served as a Rune Knight, before mustering out and joining Mermaid Heel. We've got a lot in common, and if you accept, we'll have even more. I'm in charge of a new elite Division, we will be the worst nightmare of illegal Guilds. You're a tough one, and I want you. You can do a lot of good." Naruto went straight to the point, blunt and succinct, and dying to get out of the Guild. He wasn't scared, but he felt holes boring into him from the glares of the members. He didn't blame them, he was trying to poach one of their S-rank members.

"Okay, I hear you, Commander, but I want to fight you. "

"You want to fight me." Naruto repeated, he hadn't had a chance to fight for weeks, and Tenten was meant to be really good. However, smaller Guilds like Mermaid Heel had lower standards for S-rank mages than other Guilds. Phantom Lord had been the same, five of their S-rankers weren't particularly deserving of the title, in general standards, they were highly skilled, but not exactly comparable to true S-rank mages like Laxus Dreyar, Erza Scarlet, Mirajane and possibly Mistogan. "Fine, lets fight." He finally said, it'd be a good time to see her strengths and weaknesses, and he was itching for a chance to be active.

"Follow me then," smugly, the Mermaid Heel mage said in response. She led Naruto, her fellow female mages following out of the Guild. A pathway led them just outside of the town, and in the middle of a great clearing of green. A place like this wouldn't survive a few hours if Fairy Tail had access to it, Naruto thought with a smile.

They finally stood, a few metres apart, and waiting for the other to attack.

He attacked first, he could try and pretend it was to see her reaction times, but he had been bored of waiting. She responded by sending sharpened wind blades at him, which he smugly dissipated with a wave of his hand, causing her brow to furrow and teeth to grit in anger. Naruto was a jack of many trades, and even a master of a couple. He did have an unfair advantage, but he had earned his skills from training.

He laughed as he jumped up into the air, avoiding a flurry of weapons sent his way, one scraped his boots. "Try harder, show me your power, I can take it." He shouted, as he took a deep breath and with a smirk sent her next attack in all directions with a 'Great Wind Barrier'. Wind Magic had been the easiest thing for him to learn, nine years ago, and was one of the magics that he had completely mastered.

"I'll kill you if I don't hold back!" Frustrated, the mage screamed in response as she retreated a few feet, as she returned her weapons and tried to plot out her next attack.

"I'm very hard to kill," Naruto quipped, she was holding back and it frustrated him. She was possibly stronger than he had given her credit for being, but she was showing none of it against him.

Instead of magic, she resorted to fists, as she smashed him in the jaw. Naruto rolled his jaw a little, to avoid a fractured jaw, but found himself approving of her raw strength. Not hesitating he rammed a fist through her guard and she went back a few feet, one arm clutching her ribs. It didn't hold her back for long though, because she retaliated with bringing out two swords, using her Requip abilities.

Naruto responded by doing the same thing, minus one sword. He had never been able to learn how to wield two swords, it had taken him long enough to get the knack of using one sword, but magical swords were different from plain old swords, which made it easier. Tenten was in her element, she battered through any defense he managed to put up, and he was going on the offensive, rather mixed up, but he was always better when attacking.

"I'd love to see you fight Erza," he managed to grunt, raising his weapon in time to avoid losing the use of his arm, and duck his head. "You are good, but you take a while to adjust to fighting someone new. I could have killed you by now, that is a weakness you can't afford to have." He paid for the critical comment with having to blast her backwards with a hastily and very raw 'Wind Barrier' that saved him from the assortment of weapons she had managed to Requip. He was impressed, in the midst of engagement, she had the ability to think and act on new avenues of attack.

She was panting.

Naruto should have guessed, she didn't have the stamina for sustained battle. She had gained her reputation by working as a squad and being quick to end things. "Lets finish this, end it with one last attack." He called out, they both parted ways, each silent as their magical power spiked. He stood his ground, watched as she was lost in the midst of what was thousands of projectiles, held aloft by Wind Magic and he could see barely, Tenten raising her arms, having abandoned her swords, and drop them forwards.

He grinned, the wave of steel death roaring as it sped towards him.


	4. Chapter 4

Author Ramble:

This chapter was a total pain in the rear to write. It took me being very tipsy to get it started in the early hours of this morning. I was at a party, and indulged in some alcohol. I fell asleep and tried to get it finished before I got kicked off the laptop on waking up. I was so tempted at times just to procrastinate on writing it, but if I did it would never be written. Not as long as I initially had it planned, but it is an acceptable enough length, I hope. Next chapter will possibly be next weekend, maybe sooner, it all depends.

* * *

The giant steely maw opened wide to devour Naruto, flame flickered within it, and he stared absolutely fascinated – this was beautiful. The dragon formed of weapons stared ahead, and he could swear that it had life, it was roaring and so close to him. One tiny part of him wrestled for him to impulsively touch it, he didn't, but was feeling quite daft for

"Steel Dragon Fire Wave!" Tenten roared in tandem with the speeding dragon, the curly haired woman absolutely still, her focus devoted to maintaining her attack.

Her brow was slick with sweat, hair damp against her head. She had poured everything she had into the attack, her desire to secure a victory was evident, and Naruto felt that they understood each other in that moment. Tenten Steeling was a woman who had trained so hard to get to where she was, she wasn't a prodigy, she was like Naruto, every achievement she had fought to earn.

They fought as two equals, Naruto may be stronger, and he certainly was, but she understood that – fought on anyway. They understood to never give up; except that ordinary looking woman before him had probably bested Naruto there. Seven years he had just given up. He had called himself a disgrace; considered himself a failure. He hadn't been, until he had done just that, but this was his chance to make amends, and he wouldn't let it be said that Naruto Uzumaki didn't learn from his mistakes.

Naruto crossed his arms and then opened them, popping out an exact copy of himself, he looked at his doppelganger. "Let's do it, we've been practicing it for years now, clone Naruto. You better not screw it up!" He warned his clone as he fell into position, his clone also doing so.

"Wind Make: Spiralling Sphere!" His clone bellowed, flashing a smug grin at Naruto, as if the clone was trying to make the point that had done his part perfectly. That was the thing with this variation of Clone Magic, they tended to embody the worse aspects of the creators personality.

"Water Make: Tearing Torrent!" Naruto yelled at the exact same moment, watching as the two techniques became one. The wild rotations of the Spiralling Sphere was swallowing up the current of water that Naruto had released. It became mere water vapour, obscuring Tenten's vision, and creating a solid barrier as the strong wind whirled within the mist. It was a technique that brought sad memories to the forefront of his mind, as he remembered the man who had helped give it life.

The steel dragon was struggling to breach the barrier, but it simply couldn't. The Typhoon Water Vortex was a very powerful defensive technique that when used by Naruto, who with the vast amounts of magic to strengthen and sustain it, was quite possibly on its first use against an opponent, impossible to defeat. It had its weaknesses, but against the unprepared – it had yet to fail.

It was over just like that, both techniques fell apart, and Naruto and Tenten stared across the pockmarked ground, Tenten breathing heavily.

"I win." Naruto stated, bluntly.

"Every time I get so close to closing the distance to that man, someone else comes along and knocks me back, you didn't even fight me seriously. I was scared, even although I knew this was just a match, I was scared, you were so much stronger and I can't match you...I am undeserving of the S-rank classification." Her voice was bitter, and the disappoint in herself was obvious. Her head was hanging in shame, eyes stuck staring at the ground.

Naruto's eyes widened. Crap, he thought. He hadn't meant to do this, he wasn't one to crush someone's spirits, how to fix this? How to make her feel better, he racked his brain furiously for an answer. "Fear isn't evil...it is what tells you what your weakness is. Knowing your weakness will make you stronger. Fear is what tells us what the stakes are, Tenten, without fear, we don't fight for a worthy cause." He walked towards her, mindful of the small holes now littered across the battlefield, and extended his hand towards the curly haired mage.

She raised her head, a small smile appearing. "You aren't such a bad guy, are you..Boss."

* * *

Erza was frowning.

Something just felt wrong, the Guild was as chaotic as ever, but there was someone missing, that someone was Naruto Uzumaki. Nobody really knew the older mage very well, even Erza didn't, and he was the man who had taught her bladework when she was younger. She liked the man very much, he had a kind smile, and was a skilled enough mage. Master thought very highly of the man.

She turned away from her cake, placing in back on the plate, reluctantly standing to seek out the Master. There was just a feeling of something being wrong, the Master had been a little quiet as of late, she had put that down to Laxus being excommunicated, but now that she thought about it, this had been going on for longer than that. In fact, she thought it could have been since the Rune Knight had came to give the Master a message.

She looked at the short Wizard Saint. "Master, where is Naruto? He hasn't shown up at the Guild for around a month, that is most irregular of him." Erza waited patiently for the older man to answer, presuming that maybe Naruto was on vacation, or taking a longterm mission. Normally all the Guild would know if someone would be away for any length of time, but Naruto tended to keep to himself, so it wouldn't be that unusual.

"Naruto is no longer an active mage of Fairy Tail." Makarov announced, jumping up on a table, looking around the Guild. "Naruto before he came to Fairy Tail was a Commander of a Rune Knight Division, due to the disbanding and subsequent reforming of the Magic Council, he has been recalled to duty. He had to renounce his membership to Fairy Tail in order to do so. "

"Naruto...he was the tall blonde guy, wasn't he?" Someone asked.

"Yeah, he was pretty cool, I never really talked to him though." Another piped up.

Erza was stunned to silence. A Fairy Tail mage had left to join the Council? No, surely not. She knew that the Council were not enemies, but they were always trying to make things hard on Fairy Tail, and now Naruto had gone to them. Fairy Tail was a family, and family didn't abandon family.

_"Don't be stupid, Erza!" The man had scolded her when she had picked up a giant sword that was nearly triple her size and definitely outweighed her. He grabbed it from her, stuck it blade first into the ground. "You are still a kid, you know. Don't pick up things that outweigh you, you'll end up as nothing but a squashed tomato."_

_She had glowered, but he had then effortlessly brought a smaller blade into existence, summoning it from the pocket dimension. _

_He handed it to her carefully. "This is Fire Leaf, she's a special sword, forged by one of the best blacksmiths in all of Fiore, and she's yours now, Erza. A Requip mage like yourself needs to start her collection. She belonged to a very brave woman, one named Kushina Namikaze. She had red hair just like yours, and she was really strong. You will carry on her spirit, won't you, Erza? I think that she would be proud to have you wield her weapon."_

_"It's so beautiful," she had exclaimed, running her hands lightly over the blade. "How do you know? How do you know that I am worthy to carry on her spirit, to wield the sword of someone you admire...I can't."_

_Naruto had just smiled. "She..she..was my mother. I know it because I am her son, she left more than just her blades to her son, she left an echo of spirit to remind her precious son that he would always be loved." He swallowed, blue eyes glancing down at the blade, a bittersweet smile on his face. "I'm not worthy to wield such a blade, but you represent the future of Fairy Tail, and I know that she would be honoured to have such a fine mage carry on her legacy!"_

_"Me...a fine mage?" Erza had responded, unable to fully voice the emotions that had swept through her. _

"You must be mistaken, Master. That cannot be, he would never leave us," she protested strongly, shaking her head.

Makarov seemed to visibly harden before responding. "I am not mistaken, Naruto answers to the Council now, that is all there is to say. Go take a mission, we'll never get the renovations complete if we can't pay for them!"

* * *

Naruto now had a lifetime ban from Mermaid Heel, as if being male hadn't been enough of one, a picture of him was actually hung on the entry of the Guild. He didn't see why he got the blame for destroying the favoured training grounds of the Mermaid Heel Guild, his new right-hand woman was just as much to blame. Yet he was the one landed with the repair bill. The Council covered it, but he fully expected getting a lecture from old man Doma when he arrived back in Era.

"So, I couldn't help it, but I noticed you have a Fairy Tail mark on your arm," Tenten broached the subject, hiding her eagerness for an answer poorly, but still trying to sound as if it was a casual commentary.

"Seven years in Fairy Tail," Naruto answered, not really wanting to get into it all. "Like I said earlier, I only just got recalled a few weeks ago, you know that Dark Guild activity is at an all time high, right?"

"Yeah, but why would they want a Fairy Tail mage to be working for the, no offence, boss. Everyone knows that Fairy Tail and the Council aren't exactly on the best of terms, you guys are off your rockers." Tenten instead of getting a satisfactory answer was clearly just getting more fascinated with Naruto's story.

Naruto wasn't one for keeping secrets, or he hadn't been when he was younger, and Tenten was a comrade, so no harm in getting it all out in the open now. "I led the Division decimated at Morta Island, and I left shortly after, I failed to honour my comrades by giving up. The entire Island was a trap, you know, " he swallowed, keeping his pace even as he walked. "They died, shrivelled up, some of my friends went down without even getting the chance to fight back. I should have told them to run, but such a magic shouldn't be allowed to go on. It was our job, stop those who abuse magic, so I told them to hold on. By the time I told them to run, there was less than fifteen of us left. Out of fifty, only fifteen, and they were all elite amongst even Rune Knights, and only fifteen of us were able to run. It was one man, couldn't make out his face, or anything but his shadow. "

"One man did all that...how?" Tenten voiced, brown eyes full of horrified sympathy.

"I told them to get off Morta. I remained behind to be the distraction, but he still got them, even although he was fighting me. I don't remember much after that, next thing I know was being pulled out the sea by a leisure cruise."

"So whoever did that, whatever did that, is still out there?" Tenten asked, a shadow of fear appearing in her eyes.

"Not for long, it is only a matter of time, until all illegal Guilds are destroyed, I'll make sure of it. We'll make Fiore a safer place by bringing about a country free from the plague of Dark mages!" Naruto answered, confidently. He wasn't really quite so confident, doubtful whispers in his ear, reminding him of the Morta Massacre.

"You don't honestly think that we alone can do that, do you? As long as magic exists there will be those who use it for good, and also those that use it for dark purposes. You can't expect to stop them all, it is impossible. This is me, your new underling being the voice of reason, sir." Her hands went to her hips as she spoke, daring him to argue with what she had just said.

Naruto didn't. "Not really, it'd be nice and all, but I'll settle for doing all that we can stop as many as we can. It is funny, but if I had said that back home, in Fairy Tail, half the Guild would have been ready to run out the door, battle lacrima on their backs." He answered, hoping to appease her, as expected, she wasn't afraid to give her own thoughts, even if she referred to him as boss, or sir. He liked this version of Tenten, she was quite assertive, and possibly suffering from a moodswings the way she went from one extreme to another. "Anything else you want to know?"

"Yeah, what happened to your hair?"

Okay, he hadn't been expecting that, he lifted a hand that ran through the fuzz that had once been thick spikes. "It got shaved off, they needed access to my scalp or something. It looks stupid." He couldn't help himself, it really did look weird, Naruto didn't suit short fuzz for hair. The only other worse hair style would be a bowl cut. He grabbed her arm, as they finally reached their destination. "That would be our train, Tenten. Let's go."

* * *

"Erza is acting kind of strange, isn't she." Lucy commentated, watching Erza stab her fork repeatedly into her uneaten cake. After the Master had answered Erza's question, the red haired young woman had been strangely subdued, which wasn't like Erza. The entire Guild had been subdued for a while, but it was beginning to pick back up.

Cana leaned over, putting her drink down. "It isn't surprising. Naruto was the one who helped her learn how to speed up her Requip and how to use her swords, " she crossed her arms underneath her breasts, her head cocked to the side as she thought. "He wasn't exactly close to anyone here, except Gildarts, the top S-rank mage." Which unsaid was why Cana had always paid close attention to the blonde haired male.

Lucy frowned. "That is strange, how long had he been a member for again?" She asked, it had to have been at least six years, if her arithmetic was correct.

"He came nearly a year after Erza joined, when she was still trying to get a grip to her magic, and it was thanks to him that she probably ended up as the strongest female in the Guild. He gave her the first of her magical swords, one called Fire Leaf, I think. Macao said it belonged to a famed mage called Kushina, and that it must have cost Naruto millions of credits to obtain." The brunette had lowered her voice to just slightly above a whisper. "He was a nice guy, I don't know why he'd be working for the Council."

"He inherited it from his mother," Erza joined the conversation showing no signs of irritation at finding herself as part of the gossip. "Which makes it all the more priceless. I don't like to use it much, it is silly really, but other than Naruto - that sword is part of her legacy. I asked the Master, a few years back, and Kushina Namikaze was married to Minato Namikaze. He was a rising young Wizard Saint, at the time the youngest to gain the title, and Kushina was the daughter of a Duke who eloped with him after he saved her from kidnappers. He nearly lost his rank for that, but he was too popular and the romance of it all made him even more popular. She had already been an accomplished mage, but free from society, she blossomed into a powerful mage in her own right. I admire her, and am honoured that Naruto believed I was a worthy successor."

Lucy spat out her drink. "That means that he was the son of Minato Namikaze...why wasn't that all over the magazines?" She asked, confused. A mage from such a lineage was bond to catch a lot of attention. "Why wasn't he an S-rank mage?"

It was the Master that piped up. "Not all desire the fame that comes from such a rank, Lucy. Naruto was one of those, he went by the name of his mother, to avoid being linked to his own parents. I don't profess to understand why he did so, but he had his own troubles of the past," the Master paused, frowning. "Now let that be it, he may not be here with us now, but he is still part of our family. Family doesn't gossip about family, brats." He scolded them.

Lucy dropped her head in shame.

* * *

When Naruto sat in an compartment, he wasn't expecting to see another blonde, one from Fairy Tail. It was none other than Laxus Dreyar, except he lacked the cocky aura that Naruto associated with the slightly younger man. In his early twenties, Laxus was only a few years younger than Naruto, and when Naruto had came to Fairy Tail, the Master had attempted to shove the two together as friends. For a short time they had taken missions together, but any dreams of a longterm team came to a halt when they had an all out brawl in the streets of Magnolia.

Tenten was sleeping.

So it was just Naruto, and Laxus who was looking out the window.

"Where is your fan-squad?" He referenced to the team that Laxus had assembled, he was kind of glad to see Laxus, even if he was a bit of a bastard, he was still a Fairy Tail member.

Laxus shot his head around, glaring at Naruto. "You trying to be funny, huh, Naruto? Go ahead, say it all, I can take it."

Taken aback, he frowned. "What is your problem, you are rarely without your team, how is it being funny asking where they are? I know you have an attitude problem, but would it kill you be to nice for once? I don't know why the old man lets you stick around Fairy Tail sometimes."

Laxus was clearly torn between anger and defeat. "You don't know...do you? " He asked, more for his own sake. He slumped his shoulders. "I've been kicked out of Fairy Tail...going the same route as my old man, a Fairy Tail exile." The Lightning mage offered up a grimace that had probably been his attempt to smile. "

Laxus had been excommunicated? When had all this happened, and why? "You are an arrogant brat, Laxus, but you aren't a bad guy. What the hell did you do? You are his grandson, he adores you more than anything, Master Makarov would never abandon his own flesh and blood unless there was something that he could not forgive -" Naruto broke off, if there was one thing that Makarov, or any Fairy Tail mage could not forgive was hurting family and innocents.

Laxus nodded at the unspoken question. "I deserved it. " He stated, not making any excuses. That had been something Naruto had liked about Laxus, he was blunt and hadn't been one to make excuses for himself.

Naruto couldn't help, he just sympathised with Laxus, even if he didn't know the exact circumstances, he could feel the regret burning away within the other blonde. Laxus hadn't always been so full of anger; Naruto had quite liked him until he had slowly began to ferment after being in the shadow of his fathers crimes and his grandfathers fame.

On impulse he made an offer. "Join my division, the sleeping beauty over there is Tenten Steeling, and we're off to recruit some more. We were a team once, Laxus, and we are mostly good together, how about it, eh?"

_Makarov Dreyar literally slammed their heads together._

_"My grandson Laxus," he'd said in introduction. "This is Naruto Uzumaki, he's joining Fairy Tail, and I've got a mission for both of you. "_

_They'd completed it, and completed a lot more._

"Nope. " Laxus said immediately. "I've got to go my own way, Naruto. Not that I'm not grateful of nothing for the offer, but I want to do my own thing. Since you hard my spiel on not being part of Fairy Tail, I'm guessing there is a story behind your ignorance and offer. Care to share?"

Naruto was an honest guy, mostly, and he didn't want to burden Laxus, who with his new and less harsh attitude didn't deserve to hear about his father, but Iwan Dreyar would probably try to go after Laxus. So he decided on honesty, rather than trying to shield the grown man. "I ran into Iwan Dreyar and his lackeys, which I now know as Raven Tail, it got ugly, I got blown up along with a hideout building and got recalled to work for the new Council. So I'm not Fairy Tail listed anymore."

Laxus didn't visibly react at the mention of his father.

Naruto didn't know if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

"Sounds like fun, and positively Fairy Tail-like, blowing up a building and getting the Council on your back," He offered a smirk, still a shadow of his old one. "You can always count on me, Naruto. If you need a mage to watch your back, just get a message to me, and it'll be like old times, minus the mass-destruction. I don' t think I can afford to pay for repair bills anymore."

Naruto grinned. "You can count on getting that message, and it was you that destroyed things, so don't go blaming that on me."

Tenten let out a loud snore.

Laxus glanced at her questioningly.

"Tenten Steeling, she is a Requip and Wind mage. I think she uses some fire lacrima as well, not sure, I didn't ask. She's my first recruit for a squad that will focus entirely on taking down illegal magic activity. I don't like the Council much sometimes, especially Doma, but at least this way I can do some good, more than I could do taking missions to recover someones lost necklace." Naruto answered, rubbing his nose.

The train began to noticeably slow.

"This is my stop, " Laxus said, standing up. "Remember what I said, I've got your back if you want me to." He offered a quick smile, it wasn't a smirk, but it was a genuine smile. He shrugged on his jacket, leaving the compartment.

Tenten opened her eyes, finally ceasing to pretend to sleep. "So..." She trailed off, "You used to be in a team with Laxus Dreyar, and you called me a sleeping beauty, really?"


	5. Chapter 5

Author Rambling: It is shorter than had planned for this chapter, and I dislike it, but I can always replace it once my wrist isn't so damn painful. I sort of sprained it when I tripped OVER my dog, not on the dog as some well meaning friends thought, and although it is just a fairly minor sprain, typing is a pain mostly one-handed. It has been mentioned a lot that I seem to be overshadowing Fairy Tail characters. Trust me, I like the Fairy Tail characters more than you know, I adore their pluck and passion. As a character I love Jellal, and remain a firm 'Jerza' fan. They've got history! A lot of it! Admittedly that doesn't mean much, my ex and I had childhood friendship going...yeah..he was still a cheating scumbag. Luckily this is anime-land, and as such I say, Jellal and Erza either die lonely, or live together.

* * *

The Tavern went completely deathly silent as Naruto entered.

Drinking in a quite subdued manner, about twenty mages were crowded into the building, some behind the bar, others seated around it. The symbol of Phantom Lord hung along the walls, but this was no Guild gathered, not anymore. In the seat of honour, Jose Porla, ex-Guild Master of Phantom Lord was slumped over the bar, a bottle of whiskey tipped over, the remaining amber liquid dripping down the bar side. Unshaven, he was dressed in plain clothes, suitably morose considering his circumstances. He was broken.

If not for the fact that it had been that man, overtaken with self-pride, who had destroyed a building that had stood for generations, Fairy Tail Guild; he had ordered brutal acts, been prepared to destroy others, all for the sake of his pride, Naruto might have felt sorry for who he was now. Jose Porla was a broken man. Stripped of his Guild, pride and title of Wizard Saint, he had nothing but a nearly empty bottle of whiskey.

"You took the wrong path, led by pride, you made the wrong choices, Jose Porla. You lost all you had, simply because you were too greedy to be content, but maybe you can make amends..." Naruto addressed the man, trying his best not to colour his tone with disgust. A large part of him was screaming to fight the man, but the mature part of him could see that he had already paid for his hubris. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, with the support of the Magic Council, I am here to offer you a chance to redeem yourself and perhaps if you conduct yourself true - a chance to take up the title of Wizard Saint again." He didn't think the man deserved it, but Naruto had seen worse men walk lighter paths, so he was going to offer Jose Porla a chance. It was the right thing to do.

It had started from jealousy, had it not? Naruto had witnessed what jealousy could do to otherwise decent men, from all accounts, Jose had loved his Guild, and up until six years before, been a genial enough man. He had by no means been like Makarov, but he hadn't been particularly cruel or sadistic. Now that Jose had lost all that, and hadn't succumbed to forming a Dark Guild, it might mean that he wasn't a lost cause. Naruto had always been one to take the difficult path, maybe Jose could learn from his mistakes, and come out of it a better man.

Jose raised his head, his dark hair scraggly and in need of a good combing. "Naruto...Uzumaki...one of Makarov's brats!" He seethed, trying to get to his feet, and with great difficulty he did. "Don't want charity -" he began to hiccup, "-got whiskey and..and...stool...don't need redemon - redeman-redeeming."

Well, it wasn't the magical attack that Naruto had been gearing himself up for, so the blue eyed mage just watched, pitying the shadow of a man. "You are a great mage, but a lousy example of a man. I can't forget what you did to my Guild, but right now, I'm not here as a Fairy Tail mage, but as a Commander who reports to Chairman Guran Doma, and you were a Wizard Saint for a reason. Lend your strength to the cause, to be the sword that slashes through the strength of Dark Guilds! Regain your pride!"

Jose chuckled, clumsily lifting a hand to wipe his mouth, the hand rubbing against an unruly beard. "Pride can't be returned, it is lost, I lost it all...laugh it up...I am nothing...I have nothing." He responded laughing with feverish manic in his eyes. "GET OUT!" In a turnaround, he began to rage, scrabbling on the bar, trying to grip the bottle of whiskey, he took a swig out of it, and flung it at Naruto. "Have it, you got my Guild, you got my pride, you got my rank...take it...let Fairy Tail claim it all!"

There was a manical gleam in his eyes. Jose Porla had succumbed to madness, Naruto realised, just as the man fell back into fits of manical laughter.

Naruto glanced at the others in the bar, probably the higher ranking members of the disbanded Phantom Lord. They were as good as blacklisted from joining any reputable Guild, having been known members of a disbanded Guild, one who had tried to take on Fairy Tail and failed - they'd be lucky if they'd even be given membership to another Guild once the strong opinions began to fade on the entire matter. They had banded together, commiserating together, probably until it really sank in for them.

Naruto said the only thing he could. "Shouldn't he be in a ward?"

One of the remaining former Phantom Lord females just nodded.

"We can't afford the fees, and he is our Master, even if...You know what, why would you care. Even if he is a broken tea-pot, he was still our Master, Phantom Lord, er, ex-Phantom Lord mages don't all abandon our comrades. Until your Guild riled the Master up, everything was brilliant. So don't go telling us what to do, punk." She was trapped between seething and helplessness, and Naruto felt guilty.

A broken tea-pot, huh? Naruto couldn't help but think, a little incredulous at the use of the description for Jose Porla. Naruto could have pointed out that it was Jose that got himself into this mess, but considering the man being so egotistic and proud, he wouldn't just become something so broken like this. No, something was going on right now. Jose Porla wasn't a particularly pleasant man, but he wasn't a mad-man either, nor a stupid man like he had been acting as of late. He gasped, it all clicked into place.

He glanced at Jose who was now fumbling about for more whiskey. This was a conspiracy, a respected Guild Master didn't just start a Guild War; not if he was a Wizard Saint who prided his title. In fact, only an idiot challenged Makarov Dreyar, even if they had the title of Wizard Saint. Naruto wouldn't want to fight the old man, and Naruto had never been bothered by difference of strengths before. Naruto wasn't particularly bright, not when compared to the more intelligent people, as a kid he'd been constantly buzzed with an overabundance of energy, he couldn't sit and think, as he got older, he'd been forced to think.

Jose Porla was under the influence.

Not of alcohol, although he was influenced by that as well, but something darker.

Naruto remembered some of his lessons when training to be a Rune Knight.

_"It is difficult to tell if someone is under the influence of Partial Possession Magic, but the aftermath,once control is released, it is easy to decipher that the victim has been locked from making much of their own choices, yet aware at the same time. They turn to alcohol, and display extreme unstability, it isn't always treatable." The young looking blonde woman had explained. "It scars the mind deeply, the expert in healing the mind would be Tsunade Kato, wife of Wizard Saint Dan Kato.."_

It was as if he had been hit by an entire forest, the realisation totally battered at his mind. Could it be that Naruto had uncovered what others had failed to? Was the disgraced ex-Wizard Saint Jose Porla in fact a victim of the entire mess, had a man who stood on the side of what was right, been corrupted by darker magic than most could ever consider existing? Naruto didn't have any proof, but he didn't it need it, his heart was telling him that his instincts were correct.

Naruto swallowed, ran a hand over the blonde fuzz on his head. "Charge it to the Council, say Uzumaki authorised it, uh. " He paused, began to fumble through his pockets, searching for some sort of ID he could give them. He found a badge, deciding that it would have to do, he passed it to the female. "Take care of him, tell them that Tsunade ...er...Kato will be needed. She might even treat him for free, since his case will interest her, and tell her that Kushina's son sent you." He hated using that name to get things done, but it was for a good cause.

She looked suspicious, yet nodded. "Alright, I guess thanks are in order, unless this is a sick trick, because if it is, I'll shove a tree branch so far up your anus, that you won't be able to sit for the rest of your life! That is just for starters." Her eyes darkened, a shadow seemed to cast itself over her, and Naruto bit his tongue as he fought the urge to copy Happy and say "Aye". Looks like he found his Erza.

"The name is Anko Syruorm, remember it," she smiled darkly, "because it'll be the name you scream in your nightmares."

Naruto nodded, paling suddenly. He recognised her now! Of course, this wasn't quite her, but she was certainly just as scary. Naruto was putting her right there with Morta Island. "Got it, Miss Syruorm." He addressed her, trying to straighten up against her glare. She was just like an angry Sakura Haruno, but worse, because Sakura had known how to fix you back up.

She cocked her head to the side, studying Naruto curiously. "I knew I knew your face, you were born in Leaf Village, weren't you?"

How could she have known that? Naruto couldn't help it. Maybe he wasn't the only ninja that had on taking their dying breath ending up in Earthland, slotted into a new life, one that was different, yet so similiar to the old. "I was," he said simply, finding it difficult to believe that of all people Anko could be in the same boat as him.

"Your dad was hot. He was older than me, but Minato was hot." She sighed.

Naruto's jaw dropped. It seemed he had been mistaken, this wasn't Anko Mitarashi, it was just Anko Syruorm. It didn't really matter, both were alike, and scary. Technically, he had been born in a small village that had been known as Leaf, in Earthland, well, the counterpart that he had replaced had.

Anko Syruorm once again hardened. "Get going," she told him, turning to face the other former Phantom Lord members who were in the tavern. "Alright guys! Get the Tavern moving, we're going to Era, and we are going to get the Master fixed! NOW!" Punching a fist in the air, she roused up the drinking members, all of whom bounced to their feet with astonishing swiftness and began to get to work.

Once again she turned to Naruto, brown eyes meeting his blue ones, a glimmer of a smile on her face. "Blondie, I owe you one, don't think I won't beat your punk ass if you annoy me, but...thanks." She said in a voice just above a whisper.

Figuring this was all he was going to get from her, Naruto just nodded, Anko might have made a good team-mate, but she was just too scary. " Take care, Anko Syruorm, we'll meet again, heh.""Get moving!" She barked, any traces of friendliness dispersing, but he could see a certain softness in her eyes.

Naruto appeased her; he did have to meet Tenten anyway.

* * *

The trees stood taller than any being. It reminded Naruto of the careless days of being a young ninja, when he had soared through trees, free of worry and had been a child. Those days had long since passed. Time waited for no-one; it passed by even if someone refused to leave the past. Naruto understood this; he had afterall spent seven years trapping himself with chains of guilt. He was passed that now, he understood that to honour his fallen friends, all he had to do was live!

Captain of the 4th Custody Enforcement Unit, a lofty title bestowed on the slim young man. Serious and solemn faced; Naruto had been accosted by the man.

Lahar was a polite man; younger than both Tenten and Naruto, but older looking, dressed in the uniform of high-ranking Rune Knight Officers. Tenten had until meeting Naruto never earned the right to be an Officer; remaining an enlisted Rune Knight until she had resigned. Now however, she was dressed in the same colours, minus a cape.

Naruto had refused to wear one. It might look elegant, but his trench coat, reminiscent of one that Gildarts Clive wore, well, it was his favourite piece of clothing, and it had the ankh-like Magic Council symbol embroidered neatly by Ayame on it.

"It itches," Tenten complained loudly, the curly haired woman was shifting in discomfort, pausing chuckled; he could see Lahar actually wincing. That man was too regimental, he didn't appreciate the good things in life, truly he must find life so boring.

"It always does, Tenten, but you'll get used to it, or burn it." He told her, relaxing on the roof of the carriage, wind whipping through the fuzz that had yet to grow out any longer. He missed his spikes; he didn't feel like himself without them being whipped about violently by the slightest breeze.

"Commander, it isn't proper!" Lahar kept exclaiming, the fine veneer of politeness and respect towards a superior officer slowly wearing away. He was a man who lived by the laws dictated to them, and seeing his superior acting so much like a typical Guild mage, it was wearing away his vast amounts of patience.

Her lips kept quirking upwards, as Tenten failed to hide her amusement, her irritation towards the stiff and itchy uniform being forgotten. "You can take the mage out of Fairy Tail; yet you can't take the Fairy Tail out the mage." She offered up to the scowling Captain, who actually blanched when he glanced at the blonde mage ontop of the Custody Enforcement Unit was listening in, fighting the urge to chuckle at the reaction.

Lahar was shaking his head in despair. "The Magic Council must have been desperate if they would take a Fairy Tail mage. Not the carriage, please, don't destroy the carriage." He mumbled under his breath, his thumb and finger pinching the bridge of his nose, rubbing it tiredly.

Naruto was beginning to like the man, despite his strict persona, he reminded him of someone. After that, he was beginning to lose interest in watching the progress of the march, Lahar was at its head, issuing orders sometimes. Tenten was chatting amongst the men; a couple of whom she had trained with, years ago.

Night with her gentle embrace had taken over from the day. Naruto found himself, rocked by the motion of the trundling carriage, drifting off. The regimented march, pounding of boots, and the light chatter amongst the Knights. It reminded him of the old days, when he would be walking in Lahar's shoes. Although, his Division had never owned a carriage, now that he thought about it. Maybe the new Magic Council had some good points, if they were willing to offer better budgets to the individual units.

He awoke reluctantly.

"We have no mercy for those that do evil acts!" Lahar declared, a flare for dramatics appearing, it was clear that despite lacking the ability to not be a stick in the mud, Lahar had certain urges for dramatic speeches. So loud that from the confines of the roof of the carriage, he was woken up. Blearily eyed, he rubbed them, yawning as he stretched out. They were here already?

He jumped from the roof, landing with his knees slightly bent for impact, and what he saw robbed him of any words.

Jellal Fernandes. The man who had harmed Erza, and Natsu. He had torn apart the Magic Council, and it was because of him that so much turmoil had rocked Fiore. He was satisfied to see the man restrained, but that wasn't all that robbed him from his speech. It was the mages that were powering themselves up for a fight. None of them were dark mages; all of them were from various legal Guilds. Including Fairy Tail.

He watched.

His hands curled into fists, his eyes narrowed, nails digging into the fleshy palms. Was this justice? Bringing a man with no recollection of his crimes into custody. Jellal was certain to die; his crimes too numerous. Jella stood enchained and unresistanting, Naruto saw no evil in that face, but he would drag Natsu, Erza, and all the rest into the depths of hell with him - he knew what he had to do.

Leaping in front of none other than Gray, he grabbed the arm of the Ice mage, squeezing it, and holding him in place.

Gray's eyes flickered upwards, meeting blue eyes that glared at Gray. "Are you being an idiot on purpose? Or did you smack your head and get it rewired, Gray?" Naruto growled, as Gray broke free and jumped back a few feet. Naruto was staring directly at the teenager, fearing that Fairy Tail would suffer, attacking Rune Knights who were an extension of the will of the Magic Council, it was a punishable offence.

"Naruto..." Gray called out, his fists clenching, trembling in anger. "This isn't right, we are all Fairy Tail mages', we shouldn't be at odds. Why are you doing this? You know us, Jellal doesn't remember anything, he can't be held-"

"Don't be naïve, Gray. Jellal Fernandes has done terrible things, whether or not he remembers, you know as well as I do the laws that govern all mages. He can't get away with the horrors he has inflicted, Gray. No, he has to be brought to justice, and you are only setting up Fairy Tail for punishment. " Naruto responded, his heart wasn't in this, but even if Jellal was not apprehended today, he'd remain a fugitive - if his memories returned...

His resolve strengthened. Jellal Fernandes was dangerous. However, Naruto could try to gain him some leniency by using his actions that had brought onboard the Fairy Tail team to his side as evidence that he wasn't a lost cause. Naruto knew that a dark path could be turned towards a lighter one, but age had also taught him that working against the system didn't work; he would watch Jellal and see what he could do from within the system that would imprison him.

"It isn't right for him to die when he hasn't lived his own life! If it weren't for Jellal, Wendy's Guild would have been destroyed; Natsu would never have defeated the Leader!" Gray shouted, the dark haired mage readying himself to attack Naruto. "A real Fairy Tail mage would understand that, why don't you? You've been family for seven years: crying with us when we lost Lisanna; cheering when Erza and Mirajane became S-rank; laughing when Natsu did something idiotic...you've been our friend...our older brother...why?" When Naruto said nothing; Gray lunged forwards

Naruto just stood, amidst the chaos of battling mages, waiting for Gray to attack. However, instead of Gray, red hair whipped into his face, and Naruto found himself defending himself from Erza.

"Jellal has lived in the darkness for too long. He hasn't truly been Jellal...I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO ROB HIM OF HIS FREEDOM!" In a fury, she summoned a sword that Naruto recognised as the very first she had ever owned; Fire Leaf. He could feel the determination rolling off the young red-head, she would not give so easily, but couldn't she see? This was what had to be done.

"Erza," Naruto began calmly. "I once said that you would grow to be a fine mage, and you have, but I once taught you to wield that sword. I see that I didn't teach you all that I should have. I didn't teach you that you have to let people make their own choices! Fernandes has gave himself into custody freely, don't add to his guilty burden by pulling yourself down alongside him! You are being selfish. He has made his decision, whatever crimes he has committed, he has chosen to face them, and carry his punishment on his own shoulders." He reached out a hand, clamped it on her shoulder, and stared into her eyes.

She exhaled a breath, her eyes growing wider, and she dropped the sword. Naruto could see her staring at Jellal, the former Wizard Saint who stood, his face pained and guilty. She could see the truth in his words.

"I see," she finally said. "This was not for Jellal, but for myself. I see that I truly am a selfish being."

"Arrest them all!" Lahar was shouting amongst the noise.

Naruto took a deep breath, noticing that Gray was going for Lahar, and bellowed. "STAND DOWN NOW!"

The Rune Knights did so immediately, and Naruto discovered that he was leaking the red-magical power that would shroud him when he was using his Take-Over Magic, he had used it only once in nine years, and that was about a month or so ago, and now he was summoning it without meaning to?

Erza had grabbed Natsu and the pink haired boy was wriggling trying to escape from underneath her arm. His head sticking out underneath her armpit, and his face scrunched up in concentration. "Gray...stop fighting." She called out to the Ice mage, who promptly, and reluctantly stopped in mid leap, landing neatly on two feet.

The fact that Erza had stopped fighting meant that all the others fell in line.

Naruto was amazed to see that even the non-Fairy Tail mages had been fighting alongside them, but he didn't know why. Fairy Tail mages had a way about them; fighting for a righteous cause, they could empower others to fight with them. The ironclad determination did a lot, their resolve was firm, and people naturally gravitated towards such strength.

Lahar was silent.

Naruto turned to him. "This was a drill situation, right?" He smiled, placing a fake smile on his face, one that was worthy of even Sai. "For what it is worth, your Unit needs some serious training, they were taken down mostly by a single mage, and every single one of these mages are exhausted from battle. Hehe, it would be embarrassing if it got out, would put into question the strength of the Magic Council."

The slim haired Captain grit his teeth, he nodded obediently. "Yes, but it won't happen again."

"Nope," Naruto said cheerfully.

"Err, no," Natsu said, not exactly convincingly.

Lucy spoke next, her face full of relief. "Never."

"Aye," Happy chirped in agreement, sneaking a peek at the she-cat beside the youngest Dragon-slayer.

"Get to work, Lahar. " Naruto said, "I'll convey your gratefulness to the Light Alliance, right?"

Naruto had never been so thankful for a respectful subordinate. Lahar was mad, but he couldn't disobey a higher ranking Officer, and reporting this would only cause trouble, especially since Jura Neekis was a Wizard Saint, and Naruto could see the man clearly from where he stood. Fairy Tail was safe for now from any lashback. That was all he could do, big brothers protected their younger siblings, right?

The Rune Knights dispersed to go search for the other members of the Dark Guilds.

Since Tenten wasn't still present, he guessed she had joined in, which left him alone with the others.

"Why?" Natsu was the first to blurt out, staring at Naruto with betrayal in his face.

Naruto didn't think Natsu would understand, the boy was very much like Naruto had once been, and a sixteen year old Naruto would never have understood. The twenty six year old didn't quite accept it so easily either. He trusted that Erza would pummel it into Natsu, but he didn't like how Natsu looked so hurt at his apparent betrayal. Things were simple to the Dragon-slayer.

"It doesn't sit right for me either, " Naruto admitted. "However, he is guilty, and you can't pick and choose when to apply the law. Just because I intervened doesn't mean I'm going to sit back and let him be executed. If you were willing to fight to keep him unchained, then I believe he has shown his worthiness for your loyalty, so I'll advocate for him. "

Natsu looked slightly more appeased, but was still scowling at Naruto.

"Isn't your Grandfather a Duke?" Lucy piped up, she had a better grasp of politics than the rest. "Can't you ask him to use his influence to getting a lighter sentence for Jellal?"

Naruto realised that she was right. The thing was, he had never met his so-called Grandfather, and he was technically Naruto Namikaze's, and even if Naruto was Naruto Namikaze, well, to be blunt it was confusing. However, using a man for his connection, especially someone who was technically his family...he didn't know. Of course, that brought up the point of how Lucy knew about it? The other Fairy Tail members didn't look so surprised. "It doesn't work like that, Lucy. I mean, I guess I could, but I've never actually met the man. I couldn't just go and ask him for something."

"Not even for Erza." Gray finally spoke, his arms crossed and pressed against his bare chest.

Naruto sighed, he would do it for a member of Fairy Tail, and especially Erza. He had a soft spot for the girl he had taken under his wing. "I'll see what I can do, but for the love of Guran Doma's underpants, stay out of trouble, please. Guran Doma and the others would love a chance to force Fairy Tail to disband, which was why I intervened also." He paused and sighed. "I can't believe I am the one saying this, but think before you act!" He warned them.

"Naruto, I'm sorry for what I said earlier. I was cruel, you really are still one of us, just a bit smarter." Gray apologised, knowing how proud the former student of Ur was, it was quite a powerful moment, him conceding he was wrong. "I know we can always count on you."

"It is okay. Just know that no matter what, you guys are family to me, I'm not going to betray Fairy Tail even if I am working for the Council. When the Master brought me to Fairy Tail, I was really unhappy, but slowly I became happier, it became home." He smiled fondly. "Like you said, I'm your big brother, so it is my job to pull you out the fire, or throw Natsu in the fire. "

"So beautiful," a small short man exclaimed, sniffing as he wiped away tears from his eyes.

Naruto swallowed, rather nervously. He recognised the man as a Blue Pegasus mage, probably the scariest thing in Earthland.

Ichiya tripped, and what remained of his clothes ripped.

Naruto averted his eyes, there was no way that seeing Ichiya in his underclothes would be less disturbing than Morta Island.

Relieved that he had patched things up with the Fairy Tail members, Naruto smiled, they had really did well in taking out the Dark Guild, and saving an entire Light Guild. "You all did well, you are all fine mages, just keep it up. The Council will most likely offer a bonus for the job being done so well, and you might want to keep a portion of Jellal's bounty for him, if things work out, he is going to need it when he is freed."

Erza's eyes widened. "When?" She echoed.

"I promised didn't I. I don't break my promises, and I promised to help Jellal, I don't know how I'll do it, but somehow, he'll be free!" Determination rippled through him, and he moved to leave, turning his head back around to look at the gathered mages. "You can count on me for this. " It wouldn't be an easy promise to follow through, Naruto didn't have influence on the Council, but if he could get proof that Jellal deserved a second chance, then he might be able to find a way.

He was nearly out of the clearing when a thought ocurred to him. "Natsu, why are you wearing clothes that match Lucy's?" He didn't get a response, just Natsu looking flustered, and growling at Naruto.

Naruto Uzumaki didn't give up; Fairy Tail mages didn't give up.

Naruto didn't break promises, so if he promised to free Jellal, then Naruto would get it done, even if he had to break Jellal out himself.


	6. Chapter 6

Authors rambling:

Early update, simply because I got the chance to actually type the chapter up uninterrupted on a laptop instead of my phone. I might still have a chapter written for the weekend, or maybe monday, but I can't promise anything. This chapter was difficult to write at first, I don't really like combat scenes, not very good at writing them, but I've been trying to work on combining speedy updates with decent length of chapter. Something totally unrelated, but I hope you will participate...I realised there was a lack of discussion forums that were active, and I started "The Commune" which I hope some of you will decide to join.

* * *

Naruto wasn't afraid. All that he could find it within himself to feel was fury, they had traversed Web Valley expecting to find the tourists with maybe a sprained ankle, nothing particularly serious, but instead they had found corpses burned and crushed. He had wept as he kneeled on the ground, a hand closing the wide opened eyes of a dead child, who's entire lower body lay in odd angles. The lower body was utterly destroyed, only the face remained untouched, but even that was twisted in agony. Showing that the last moments of this innocent child had been of pain and fear.

He remained on his knees, clenching his fists by his sides. "Only those who are prepared to be killed should dare to kill. Tenten, whoever did this is still out here, those bastards are still about. I cannot let them away with this! Where is the justice in this? The gain, or the pleasure? They couldn't fight back, defend themselves, so we're going to find them, whoever did this, and we will show them what it is to face those who are prepared to be killed!" Naruto was shaking with rage, his blue eyes gaining a red tint.

Tenten who had shed her own tears nodded. "Evil is discriminate on who it hurts, Naruto. However, we can grant those innocent people justice, we will bring their murderer back to Era in chains, that is all we can give them. We can do nothing more but do that for them." Her voice was soft, and soothing to Naruto, as she reassured them of their goal, and reminded him to rein in his fury. His anger may be righteous, but if he didn't think with a clear mind, he would succumb to acting like a beast.

Naruto swallowed, standing tall, he stared directly at Tenten. "Lets go."

He moved forwards, eyes closed, inactivating the magical ability known as 'Secret Sage Field'. Standing still he extended the reach, past himself and Tenten, towards two brightly burning life-signs that signified strong mages. Mages had brighter signatures than civilians, a result of the magic they used, and the two that Naruto could sense - higher than normal. "Follow me!" He barked at Tenten as he began to run.

Naruto noticed a spiky maned blonde mage, standing, gazing at the sky.

"There is one of them, it seems the second one has fallen behind, I want-" He didn't get the chance to finish.

The enemy mage turned around, unleashing a huge ball of flames that was heading towards Naruto and Tenten.

As the torrent of flames roared towards them, a great iron dome sprang out of nowhere, encasing Naruto and Tenten in its protective armour. Naruto glanced at Tenten who smirked. The brown-haired S-rank mage had beads of pespiration forming on her brow, but she had her arms on the wall of her 'Great Iron Protection Dome', channelling her magic into it. By itself it wouldn't last for more than a few attacks, but with her own magical power flowing directly into it, she could keep it up against anything that had been tested against it.

Naruto turned to Tenten. "I want you to let it down, and go after the other one. He's about half a mile to the west, Tenten. Come back alive." He told her, his blue eyes meeting her own brown. She smiled grimly.

"Don't expect anything less, Commander. I have no intention to die to trash like these guys, and the same goes for you." The former Mermaid Heel mage took a deep breath, pulled her arms away from the wall of her dome, releasing the technique. Naruto watched as she sprinted away to the west, leaving him to take on the mage waiting impatiently mere feet away.

"You killed them didn't you? Mere tourists, they didn't have a drop of battle magic in them, kids, parents, just ordinary people..." Naruto grit his teeth, struggling to contain the boiling fury within him.

"Exactly," the other blonde grinned, looking at Naruto as if he had finally gotten the right answer. "Trash like that can't exist, it is a favour that I am doing them, they don't deserve to walk around so carefree. "

Horror shot through Naruto. "How can you be so callous? All deserve the right to live, even trash like you. Only cowards attack the defenceless." He roared, furiously. Naruto could see that his last comment had gotten a rise from the fire-wielding mage. He looked at the man with the mane of blonde hair, even as a grown man Naruto failed to understand the disregard for innocents. "I see words will do nothing. I'll show you why you are weak, my resolve will overcome anything you send my way!"

"Tehehehe. Now that is much more like it, blondie. It is a shame, a guy like you might've actually survived in the Word of Great Magic!" He grinned widely, eyes widening. "You know since you are kind of cool, I might just let you live if you give up! I'm kind of late."

"You can give up on thinking I would give up to scum like you." Naruto answered without thinking. "The measure of a mage is not on his power, but on how he lives. Those that take the lives of others are not true mages; when defending your ideals, your loved ones, the innocent, that is when the true power of a mage is unleashed!"

Red eyes met blue.

"Flame God's Bellow!" The cackling blonde screamed, as black flames tinged purple exploded from his mouth.

The attack wasn't entirely foreign to Naruto. It was recognisable as being alike the 'Fire Dragon Roar' that he had seen Natsu use countless times. He couldn't block it with a conventional spell in his arsenal, not if he wanted to conserve as much magic as possible for a drawn out fight. _Master Makarov, your faith in me was enough to believe I could master this, pray that it works, _he thought. His fists met, were pulled apart, and then raised into the air. "THREE PILLAR GODS!" He bellowed, against any caster type spell, this was the one of the maximum defense seals.

The flames were so close to Naruto, and the pillars were just barely beginning to rise, he didn't know if his practice, or high magical power level would be enough to speed it into completion. This was a magic employed by Makarov Dreyar and passed on to Naruto. His Earthland father had been a Master of it, and Naruto liked to think using it gave him a link to his alternate father, and in turn his own father, the Fourth Hokage. On his shoulders lay the legacy of great men, as well as women. He thought of his mother, her long red hair, and loving smile, and the words she had spoken to him, in those precious minutes.

The pillars rushed into completion, just as the flames hit against them. The spell crumbled, but it had done its job and shielded Naruto from them. Naruto took the pause in battle, for the blonde who was grinning with his teeth bared was looking mildly impressed. Naruto grinned, his opponent had seen nothing yet.

Naruto was a juggernaut of magical disciplines. Yet, this one was particularly special to him. "Spiraling Blade Torpedo!" He intoned, extending his arms out, he inhaled and then exhaled a great cloud of wind, it formed into razor-sharp blades, compressing together, and it sped towards his opponent. Naruto jumped back, already preparing his next attack, he wasn't foolish enough to believe it would be over so soon.

It did nothing, Zancrow's own flame attack that he had began to activate was strengthened as the flames ate up the wind attack, and the man gobbled it up

"Wind is what feeds the fire. I, Zancrow of Grimoire Heart thank you, I was getting kind of hungry!" He cackled, clapping his hands together, red eyes staring over to Naruto as he pulled himself up to his feet. "Now let me return the favour. Taste my "Flame Gods's Explosive Flame. I like to think it has quite the kick to that, nobody has survived it to tell me though, tehehe."

Naruto wished he had Natsu with him, all he'd have to do was let Natsu eat up the flames, and then set Natsu on the guy.

Grimoire Heart did sound familiar, but he was finding it heart to place the name.

That was until he saw the Guild stamp on the newly introduced Zancrow. He felt a cold bead of sweat begin to run down his back, his mouth was as dry as brittle tinder, for he now realised who exactly he was up against. He didn't know specifics, all he knew was that he would have to fight with everything he had, if he let his guard down once, he might not make it out alive.

Not to mention that Tenten must be fighting another member of Grimoire Heart.

However, he had to have faith in his comrade. Tenten was an experienced mage, just because she lost against Naruto, didn't mean he had seen her true power. He had to have faith in Tenten, in his newest friend.

Naruto had never been one to bow in the face of great power.

No, he spat on it, mocked it, and came out top.

Naruto took the attack head on, he was blasted back, smacking against the hard ground. However, he could still move, although it was explosive, he was already healing. Zancrow was the overconfident sort, he would assume Naruto was out of the fight, and go for the killing blow, but Naruto was fine, his jacket was singed, and his back hurt, nothing impairing in a fight.

He rose to his feet and kicked Zancrow in the ribs, he heard a satisfying crunch as his boot made contact. Zancrow stumbled backwards, swearing, but it wasn't enough to keep him from fighting for long. It only seemed to imbue him with anger, he was no longer grinning, instead he growled.

"Extinguishing you will be a pleasure," Zancrow announced, red eyes glaring at Naruto. "Feel the might of a God Slayer, weakling, feel the wrath of Zancrow's 'Flame God Cloud!' Fools have no place in the new order that will come." Wth that, he swiped his hand in the air, and unleashed the black cloud of flames that surrounded Naruto.

It was a coffin of flames, suffocating him, he dragged air into his lungs, but it was being eaten up by the flames almost as quick as he could greedily gulp air down.

Zancrow was strong, deserving of being a member of one of the strongest Dark Guilds, but Naruto was lauded by many formidable mages like Bob of Blue Pegasus as one of the unknown treasures of the community of mages. He was one of the more versatile mages about, and he wasn't even damaging Zancrow. Naruto knew he could defeat him, as strong as Zancrow was, he was not stronger than Naruto.

Make Magic had come easily to Naruto. It wasn't so different to what he had learned as a ninja, so he found himself like a sponge, draining the knowledge from his new friends in Earthland. Fire could be quenched by water, but also by earth which would smother the flames.

The problem was that Naruto had never learned any Earth Make spells.

Naruto wasn't known for planned strategy, his mind truly only came alive in battle, he thrived on making snap decisions.

The heavens opened as it began to rain. Grey clouds converging, blocking the sun from view, and Naruto frantically began to connect the dots for his plan before he was fully consumed by the cloud of flames. He felt faint, deprived of oxygen, but he held his ground, he was Naruto Uzumaki after all.

"Wind Magic: Storm Mail!" Naruto cried out as he crossed his arms in an 'X', manipulating the wind to spin around him, the sheer magic used to power it, pushing the 'Flame God Cloud' away from Naruto. He was completely covered from head to toe, his defensive power absolute, and his destructive power greatly increased.

Hidden by the cloud of Zancrow's flames, Naruto charged forwards, released his armour and within seconds had both hands cupping a 'Spiralling Sphere' that only grew in strength as it began to suck in Zancrow's flames, it became a ball of black fire, encased within the original orb.

He released it and it flew right into Zancrow. The God Slayer caught it on the chest and stomach, and he flew metres away, his body hit the ground, back smashing into the rock, a crunch as his head smacked against the ground. His clothes were destroyed, a hole in his chest, smaller than the original sphere, and he was either dead or unconscious.

Naruto was panting, his palms were burnt, the speed at which he had been forced to work at had left little time for coating his palms. He had won. He fell to his knees, trying to overcome the sudden tiredness, he had used a lot of magic at once. He had more left to spare, but Zancrow had been formidable and tough to defeat.

Naruto stood shakily to his feet and walked towards the other blonde, he dropped to his feet, seeing not even a shallow rise of Zancrow's chest. He checked for a pulse, doing so twice, but the result was the same. Naruto had killed him.

Bile rose up, and he looked down at the corpse.

He hadn't wanted to kill him. Not really. Not even if he had killed all those innocent people, and had probably did many more evil acts. Naruto stood, inhaled a deep breath, exhaled it, and looked at Zancrow.

"Alive meant that perhaps you would learn to feel guilt. You might've turned away from such a cruel life you were leading, but you die as a sinner. I regret that, killing stains the soul, and makes me little better than those I hunt. Maybe you will find peace in whatever comes on the passing from life into death, Zancrow, of Grimoire Heart." Naruto bowed his head, any anger and hatred he had felt for this man were gone, he was gone.

Naruto swallowed, spared one last look at the face of the man he had killed, before running to the west.

* * *

Tenten has ended her battle, and was sitting on the stomach of her opponent.

A grossly overweight man, skin as pale as that of Orochimaru, and a lack of modesty that might've turned Naruto's stomach - if he hadn't just killed a man. The man was knocked out, small daggers pinned his clothes into the ground, and Tenten was cleaning her nails.

"Mission accomplished, Naruto." Tenten told him warmly, she had some bruises, but no serious injuries.

Naruto half-smiled at her good humour. "I fought a Flame God Slayer, my last attack killed him," he admitted. He hadn't set out to kill Zancrow, his death was unfortunate, but he had been a member of an illegal Guild. Naruto was within the law to do so; the _Dark Mage Elimination Act_ allowed reasonable use of deadly force when fighting dark mages.

Zancrow had been a member of Grimoire Heart, Naruto was likely to be lauded with praise for weakening such a dangerous Guild.

Her smile faded. "You didn't intend to kill him, did you? Answer me honestly, if we are friends, tell me the truth. If you killed him in cold blood, then I need to know, I have to know, so that if you lose yourself...I know to stop you." Naruto knew exactly what she meant. He wouldn't be the first mage who lost themselves, and became the very thing they had hunted. Tenten was loyal, but she wasn't so loyal that she wouldn't do the right thing.

"I didn't kill him in coldblood, Tenten. His magic was difficult to counterattack, and I poured a lot of magical power into my final attack. He was arrogant and didn't expect it." Naruto answered honestly. He was still a little shaken from killing, he hadn't taken a life in years, not since joining Fairy Tail, and even before that, it been only a few that had fallen by his hand.

Tenten nodded appeased. "I believe you. God Slayer is a Lost Magic, is it not? So many are popping up nowadays, it is strange to say the least." The brunette commented, punching her opponent who was beginning to stir in the head, sending him back into unconsciousness.

Naruto understood her meaning. "It isn't good, it is simply a warning, the darkness is enveloping Earthland. The last time so many powerful magics appeared was when Zeref roamed the land. It disturbs me what it may mean." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Naruto ever since he learned the Sage Arts of the Toads had a unique connection to the land. It had transferred to Earthland; there was something wrong. He just didn't know what yet, but if he could guess it would only be bad.

"How the hell are we going to lug this fatty back? I'm not carrying him." Tenten informed Naruto, jumping down from her seat on his giant belly.

Naruto shrugged.

The blonde staring at the giant Grimoire Heart mage; it wouldn't do to just leave him here to escape.

"We can drag him." Naruto decided.

Tenten splayed her arms out in an exasperated gesture. "With what? I don't have any rope, and I know that you can only Requip weapons."

"We each take a foot then," Naruto amended, glancing at the tight clad feet with wariness.

Tenten sighed. "I hope they don't smell." She mumbled as she grabbed a foot.

Naruto grabbed the other and together they began to haul the overweight man forwards, grunting loudly as they struggled to drag him.

"You have to be kidding me, his feet smell worse than, ugh, I don't even know, but it smells bad." Tenten complained loudly.

Naruto didn't blame her, a mixture of rotten eggs and rotting fish began to tease his nostrils, and he was doing his very best not to breathe through his nose out of fear of getting a noseful of it. He had planned on retrieving the body of the mage he had killed, but instead he would have to send a compliment from the nearest outpost to get Zancrow, hopefully before his body began to rot, exposed to the elements, and in the open where any animal could gnaw on it - even a dark mage deserved a proper burial.

They made it to Clovertown, physically exhausted, and in poor tempers.

A Rune Knight Unit met them as they dragged the Grimoire Heart member through the town, probably forewarned by a citizen of the Town. It was with great relief that Naruto and Tenten handed the overweight man over to them, and watched as with practiced ease they began to put magical-restraints and runes over him.

Once they made it to the outpost building. Naruto was about to inform them of Zancrow's body needing pick up, as well as the tourists who had been slaughtered, but Tenten spoke first.

"There is another one, out in Web Valley, as well as the bodies of the missing tourists. You should send a few team to retrieve them, be extra alert, Grimoire Heart is one of the top Dark Guilds, he might not look it, but that Kain Hikaru is a S-class mage. " She informed them briskly. "Don't send out any with weak stomachs, it was one of the most horrible sights I've ever had to see. It will haunt your dreams until the day you die." She warned them, and Naruto could see in her eyes that she meant every word.

He didn't know if Morta Island had been worse. All those that died had been his friends, but they had also known that they might die. Those tourists had been civilians, they had died without the means to defend themselves. There was also the image of the child, face twisted in agony, the child had been just an innocent young life.

Naruto didn't know why the image stuck in his mind.

He didn't know why his heart was twisted into a knot at the thought of the child, how they suffered, and the pointless death.

He remained silent, letting Tenten deal with the talking, he didn't feel like it.

Right now he felt like saving a life; a life such as the one that belonged to Jellal Fernandes.

* * *

The old man was like nothing he had expected.

He appeared to be about seventy-five, but he didn't seem very frail, much like Makarov really. He had a magnificent beard, and instead of formidable and judging broke out into an overjoyed smile on seeing Naruto. "My boy, you finally come!" He exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Naruto, even if Naruto probably smelled, and his outfit was damaged from his battle with Zancrow.

"Huh?" He exclaimed as the man tightened his hold on Naruto, and slapped the back of his head.

"That is for taking so many years to come visit! Gods, youth these days, no respect for their elders." He scolded Naruto, not losing the warm grin, and Naruto felt a warmth trickle through him.

"Sorry." Naruto said simply. Not quite sure on what to say, this hadn't gone as he expected so far, not that he minded, but it was unfamiliar territory.

"So, Naruto Namikaze, you sure take after that rascal of a father of yours! You have my troublesome Kushina's grin, I bet. " Duke Uzumaki declared, studying Naruto intently, but a certain softness in his grey eyes.

"I go by Uzumaki," Naruto corrected, surprised at the lack of vehemence in his sort-of Grandfathers voice. Earthland Minato Namikaze had technically ran away with his only child, he would have expected some sort of anger, or even refusal to see Naruto. This wasn't turning out like it did in the movies.

The old man raised his eyebrows. "Really? Naruto Uzumaki, I am very much honoured to meet my only grandchild, you can call me Papa." He instructed Naruto, giving the vibe of having made up his mind. "Now what do you want to ask me to do for you?"

"Huh? How did you know why I came?" Naruto didn't bother to try to lie.

The man smiled shrewdly. "I'm not a fool, young grandson. Why else would my estranged grandchild come visit me for the first time ever. I don't mind, seeing you is worth whatever troublesome task I have ahead, I'm an old man, I don't have many years left in the world. Getting this opportunity to meet the last of my blood, it completes me, and I will die with no regrets." He answered.

"It is to save the life of a good man, someone who did many bad things, but wishes to repent. He is also the dearest friend of someone I consider a younger sister, he saved the lives of my family at Fairy Tail. I don't have the influence to save him, but he deserves a second chance. A Duke, someone close to the King, you are in a position to help." He dropped to his knees, staring up at the elderly man with grey eyes. "Please, I don't want to see her shed more tears, an older brother always wishes to protect his younger siblings."

"A noble wish," was the answer he received in reply to his plea. "I will do my very best, for if she is as a sister to you, then she is of sorts a grandchild of mine as well! So stand up, child. You will never bow to me, you are my heir, and my precious daughter's much treasured child." He spoke fondly, a hand reaching out to clasp Naruto's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

Naruto stood.

"Thank you." He whispered.

The old man just smiled. "You are like your mother, so don't thank me, I failed Kushina...I didn't want to let my precious child go, and in the end I made her feel as if her only choice was to runaway. It is nearly time for the evening meal, grandson. Will you join me?"

Naruto nodded eagerly. His earlier hesitation in claiming his counterparts family was gone, it was perhaps morally wrong, but if his heart was filling with genuine love for this man, was it so bad? He was kind, honest, and understanding. His presence was actually soothing Naruto, and after his day, a balm on his wounds.

* * *

When Naruto had returned to the Clovertown Outpost, Tenten had been waiting solemn faced.

"The Chairman requests your presence in Era. " She informed Naruto, he could see the worry hidden beneath her attempt to hide it.

Naruto wasn't so worried. "It is fine, Tenten. He probably wants an update, or is going to brief me. Guran Doma was one of the biggest supporters of the _Dark Mage Elimination Act. _" He reassured her.

It wasn't as if he was eager to see Guran Doma; the man wasn't exactly pleasant. However, he did want to see Ayame, and perhaps meet her husband, poor Ayame was probably worrying about him, he had not expected to be absent from Era for so long. He wondered how she would react when he told her about meeting his Grandfather.

Appeased Tenten relaxed. "So, how did your meeting go?" She asked him curiously.

It was one aspect he had noted about her, she was always curious, and rather observant.

He smiled. "It was good, he isn't like how I imagined him to be, he was kind, and happy to see me." He informed her, his happiness a genuine sentiment. "I'll take you to meet him one day, you'd like him, he's like the Grandfather that kids dream about."

"The kid was called Jean McGarden, his only living relative is-"

"A Levy McGarden. " Naruto finished for Tenten. "Levy lost her parents when she was young, she didn't have any siblings, but she had a cousin who was raised by his maternal Grandparents. Jet and Droy, her team-mates were talking about it once, I overheard."

"A Fairy Tail mage, I take it then." Tenten replied soberly. "Once we go to Era, maybe we can go to Magnolia after, she deserves to hear it from someone who cares about her. I'm guessing you were fond of her."

"Yeah."

_Levy McGarden looked up at Naruto with wide eyes. _

_The twenty two year old looked down at her, amusement flickering in his own. "I can't take you on this mission, little Levy." He told her firmly. "Go take a mission with Jet and Droy." He told her._

_"Naruto..." she looked at him, hazel eyes widened. "Jet and Droy are fighting again, and I don't want to watch them fight, please." She had pleaded with him, and Naruto could feel his resolve dribbling down a drain. She was biting her lip nervously, staring at him with big hazel eyes, and pleading. He wasn't sure if he could withstand it._

_However, Naruto was going on a mislabeled S-rank mission that Master Makarov had slipped his way under the guise of an A-rank. Since Naruto didn't want the fame of being awarded an S-rank title, and Makarov knew that Naruto would be wasted on lower-ranking missions all the time, he had devised the system of giving him specific missions. _

_He got the payment, nobody in the Guild would know, and he didn't get bored with few challenges._

_He couldn't take a young teenager like Levy out with him. She wasn't a battle orientated mage to begin with, and Naruto couldn't be so irresponsible. Now he just had to work out how to break it to her without giving it away. "Levy, this mission is dangerous. " He told her, hoping that would dissuade the girl. She wasn't like some of the hot-headed members of Fairy Tail who would only find that even more enticing. _

_The small blue haired teenager wasn't put off, and Naruto found himself cursing Fairy Tail bravery. "All the more reason for me to come along with you." She informed him firmly. She crossed her arms, pressing them against her chest, and staring directly at him. _

_"I'll take you out on a mission when I get back, just not this mission, please don't argue." Naruto had finally said, putting some of the commanding undertone he had used back as a Captain in the Rune Knights. "It really is too risky for a young mage. Master would never forgive me if I took you, I would never forgive myself. You should go and knock some sense into Jet and Droy. Okay."_

_She had nodded reluctantly. "So, you'll really take me on a mission, will it be an S-rank one?"_

_Naruto looked at her. "Levy, only S-rank mages take them, where did you get the idea that I would be taking one?" He asked her, hoping it was just exuberance at his agreement to take her on a mission soon._

_"The Master said so when he was drinking lots," she said simply. _

_Naruto could have smacked himself in the face. It was just like the Master to do something like that, he sighed. "Well, I am strong enough to be one, but I don't fancy the fame you get, so the Master lets me take the odd mission he approves. Our little secret, right?" He asked her, trusting she would agree to keep it to herself. He liked his guildmates immensely, but they weren't exactly known for being able to keep secrets._

_"I promise." The girl said. "I take it that means no about getting to go on one with you?" She asked._

_"Yes." Naruto answered, reaching a hand out to ruffle her hair playfully. "Maybe an A-rank mission if you train hard." He told her with a grin._

_She nodded eagerly._

"She's a sweet girl," he said soberly. "She'll cry about it."

It was with a heavy heart he looked to Tenten and gestured with his hand that it was time for them to depart. It occurred to him he was actually glad to be going to Era first, even if it meant suffering through a lecture by Guran Doma, because it meant delaying the trip to Magnolia. He didn't want Levy to find out in a message, or a Rune Knight. He cared about her, so it had to be better for her to be told by someone who would be gentle about it.

Today had gotten worse, his lighter spirits after meeting his only living relative, his first ever meeting of a living relative had evaporated on hearing the identity of the little child that haunted his mind. At the very least he could tell Levy that the ones who did it would never do so again. It wouldn't do much, but it was still something better than going there with the news of her last relative dead.

"We can't keep Guran Doma waiting." He told her, his voice humorless.

Ever the pragmatic one, Tenten added dryly. "Well, he does pay our salaries, I suppose. Let's not bite the hand that feeds us."


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Rambling: This was delayed, for I had trouble writing it. I am now back at school, looking to be juggling a job, volunteering commitments, and also with family things, so updates might not be as weekly as I had been doing. This story is my focus, so it will be updated first. This year is important to me, I've got much to achieve, and am going to be busy. I'll write as much as I can, but please understand if updates lag. This chapter went in a totally different direction then what I thought it would, wow, I am shocked. Time for me to go, I've got to get some work finished, and all that.

* * *

Naruto had been surprised when rather than a thought projection, the real Guran Doma had given audience.

"You have done well, your conduct was commendable, Commander." Guran's gaze never left Naruto. "Your work has removed two members of Grimoire Heart, and according to Intelligence, both of whom made up the core of the Guild."

"Tenten defeated the one in custody," Naruto made sure to correct the man. He knew that Guran Doma knew exactly what had happened, and was purposely trying to praise Naruto. However, neglecting to acknowledge Tenten's achievement made him angry. It was Tenten that had in a beneficial act secured a source of information. All Naruto had done was give them a corpse.

The old man waved his hand dismissively. "Of course. However, the God Slayer has been linked to the destruction of several towns, all over Earthland. His being brought to justice has left us in a favourable position. The disaster that my predecessors brought on us due to trickery is now resolved, and in our favour. Our neighbours have been appeased, and friendly relations have fully resumed. There had been several riots against our authority due to the previous Council firing the Etherion." He informed Naruto, looking at him as if he was just waiting for him to challenge him. As expected of the man, he knew exactly how Naruto felt about such a weapon that should not exist, especially in the hands of the Council.

"So you're going to give me a shiny medal, and tell me to run along and continue my good work." Naruto spat at the Chairman, rather disgusted at his easy acceptance of a death.

Guran frowned, disaproval of Naruto's blatant disrespect showing. "You are to go to the Caelum Kingdom and represent the Council, for several dark mages of the Daughters of Bellona Guild have set up there, and they have no sufficient mages of enough skill to bring them into custody. " He instructed him, overlooking the disrespect for now.

"Send someone else," Naruto said quickly. "I already have things to do in Fiore." He thought of Levy, the poor girl who didn't know that the last of her blood family was gone. As much as he did agree that dark mages had to be brought to justice, Levy McGarden needed him, and he'd have to sit out that particular mission.

The eyes of the Chairman narrowed, his nostrils flared. "You overstep yourself, Naruto Uzumaki. My leniency only extends so far, it is important for the Magic Council to be decisive and give firm displays of our strength, despite the setbacks of recent months. As it is, you are in the upper tier of magical power rankings, to quell any concerns of the Caelum Queen, someone must be sent. A figure of trust."

A figure of trust. It was silly really, but Naruto had always been able to make illogical jumps. That was exactly what he did then.

Naruto's eyes widened. "You didn't bring me back to strike out against the Dark Guilds," he voiced his accusations. "You brought me back because you don't know who you can trust. " He didn't know if that was the case, it was his probe, testing the waters as it were.

Barriers shot up around the room, activated by none other than Guran Doma. Naruto tensed from where he stood, barely restraining himself from calling on his magical power.

The long-haired Chairman sighed, and seemed to age a decade, which since he already looked old, was putting him at a few months beyond the grave. At least that was what Naruto thought as he looked at Guran Doma, as if seeing the old man for the first time truly. "You are correct. Even the Council is not trustworthy, it grates for one such as I to admit it so, but the Magic Council is compromised." Guran Doma confessed wearily.

"Why me? I was unofficially disgraced for my failure, and I went on to join Fairy Tail. Your disdain for my Guild is well-known." Naruto didn't know if he believed him, the man was so unpleasant, and he had learned a lot over the years about who to trust. Guran Doma was giving him mixed signals.

"Fairy Tail is an unruly child, " Guran Doma explained, "they are undoubtedly a Light Guild, but they are hesitant to respect laws in place, such rebellion is dangerous. If they are to be an effective force in the troubles to come, they must learn to obey."

Naruto exploded. "It is just how Fairy Tail is, you can't blame them for being so vivacious, they are the one incorruptible Guild in Fiore! By trying to force your will on them, they'll never obey, it isn't the way of Fairy Tail mages'. Blind obedience isn't what Master Makarov teaches. " He glared at the man, trying to calm his breathing, trying not to let his hands find their way to the beard of the old man, because he was debating tugging it, hard. "And you didn't answer my other question."

Guran Doma inhaled a deep breath, yet answered. "Your loyalty is admirable, which is what interested me in you. I've been keeping tabs on you, nothing serious, but you caught my interest as a boy. I've been watching for years, and you have yet to disappoint. Your failure to defeat Iwan Dreyar was disappointing, but ultimately to the benefit of my plans. "

Plans, plots, secrets, and now unravelling truths.

Naruto didn't like any of it very much.

Guran Doma was as imposing as ever, even with his declaration, and surprisingly truthful admissions. His disdain for Fairy Tail wasn't someone Naruto could take, and his complacency that Naruto would be used like this. Yet, he couldn't just walk away now, not when what he was doing was so important, and for the benefit of many. He couldn't do it even to spite the controlling and manipulative old man. It would be too selfish.

Most likely Guran Doma had realised all this, and was even now giving what Naruto wanted, to placate him, and keep him on board. Probably withholding much more than he had told. He had always hated not knowing everything, even if it was done out of the sentiment of protecting him, and since he doubted that was why the Chairman was keeping his cards close to his chest, Naruto wished he could pull the information out of the mind of the old bearded man.

"Jose Porla has begun his recovery, findings indicate that the one who controlled him left residue on one other surviving victim. It was seven years ago, it was on ..."

"None other than myself, right?" Naruto asked uncertainly. Deep down he knew that the past was coming back to haunt him; dark forces were at work, and it all led back to Morta Island. The very thought of the place sent a chill rippling through his body.

It represented loss and failure to Naruto. It had also been one of the first times in Earthland that he had been truly scared. Naruto Uzumaki had been a prodigious mage, his instructors during Rune Knight Basic Training had lauded him with praise and predictions of great success. Naruto wasn't going to lie, he had loved being looked up to for once, he'd never been considered talented before. His talent had elevated him through the ranks quickly, and according to rumours , Naruto had been recommended for a higher position before Morta.

The Chairman hardened his eyes. "Correct. It was enlightening to discover such a grave threat left to freedom for so long. That must be rectified. Would any amongst...Fairy Tail-"

"No way," Naruto interjected furiously, the very idea that Fairy Tail would be subjected to fighting such a monster was unthinkable. "That man utterly destroyed my Division. Fifty men were slaughtered, and I was toyed with. Nothing worked against him, thrown about like a child's doll, I was a lone mage, up against the Black Dragon itself."

Naruto couldn't read the expression on the Chairman of the Council's face. Not that he had to, the man said exactly what he thought on the matter. "Seven years ago, you were a talented young mage not even close to hitting his prime, but you were arrogant with success and praising. I look at you now and see a worthy man, one who knows and walks in the light despite hardship. What I mean to say is that I see a worthy Wizard Saint."

Naruto choked on his own saliva that he'd been in the process of swallowing. Had he been mislead by what the elaborately robed Chairman was saying, had he not only complimented him, but hint at the bestowing of such a title on Naruto Uzumaki? Even if he found himself at odds with much of the actions by the Council, Naruto Namikaze had a dream of being a member of the Ten Wizard Saints, and Naruto Uzumaki had adopted it as well, in a fashion.

Guran continued to speak. "The Sage was in agreement, it would not only bolster the image of the Council in this occasion by having a new Wizard Saint directly situated in our ranks, but being the son of a deceased Wizard Saint as popular as Minato Namikaze will inevitably make you famous. That fame will draw out the criminal responsible for Morta Island and Jose Porla's possession. I doubt he could resist having you dangled out in front of him." He said it matter of factly.

So, he was getting the position in order to be bait, Naruto surmised. Really, he should have expected it, but despite himself, for a few brief seconds he had been excited about it. The idea of cashing in on his pseudo-parents fame was nauseating. Although a large part of him felt that since he and Naruto Namikaze were now the same person, Naruto deserved to consider his counterparts parents as his own; the other part felt it was morally wrong to steal the parents, not when his own had died protecting him.

"So I'm to be bait, and am to use the fame of a dead-man I never knew to help you?" Naruto asked bitterly. He did agree that painting himself as a target might be what it took to lure out the one he had sworn to destroy. "I don't like this, I do see why you've suggested it, and for that reason only will I go through with it, Chairman. If not for the fact that my friends must be avenged, I'd spit in your face and walk out of here. Trust isn't exactly something I have in abundance when it comes to you. You are a snake, I just don't know if you are the venomous kind yet."

The Chairman chuckled. "You will be a Wizard Saint, and I expect you to conduct yourself accordingly, no matter the predominant reasoning behind your reasoning. You will replace the traitor Jellal Fernandes."

"If I'm playing at your game, I think I need something from you, " Naruto said cheerfully, seeing an opening to begin his campaign on the behalf of the ex-Wizard Saint. "Jellal Fernandes deserves a second chance. As a child he was a slave, used to build a tower thing to resurrect Zeref, before being possessed by a dark influence. His actions were not his own. This entire debacle was because of the failure of the Magic Council to save him, and others like him, if you want some good public relations, then the rehabilitation of victims into my command would be perfect."

Naruto actually made the man splutter.

* * *

It was a cold winter evening when Naruto had finally made it back home to Magnolia.

The darkening skies were heavy and grey, frosty branches from trees hanging over his head as he walked through the park. It was devoid of any playing children, rebellious teenagers, and even bashful couples. The mage had meant to head straight to Fairy Tail, but he hadn't entered even the vicinity of the building, not when he had seen Levy laughing with Lucy inside his head. Naruto couldn't find it within himself to ruin that smile, not yet.

Nobody wanted to be the bearer of bad news, and never to someone who they considered family. The people of Fairy Tail, and the flying cat, they were all people who Naruto cherished as precious to him. He had lost too many of those precious people in another life, he didn't want to upset the ones that he had found in Fairy Tail.

Levy had to know, so that was exactly where he was heading, or returning to really. It was his duty as, according to Gray, 'the older brother' of the younger generation to support Levy. Naruto had never been an older brother, sure, he'd been picked up a few admirers who'd considered him such, but he'd never had the chance to spend years with them. Not like with the Fairy Tail bunch. He figured it was kind of like being a Dad, he had to be the responsible one, shield the kids when he could, but also give them the freedom to grow.  
Naruto picked up his pace, body moving on autopilot towards the Guild. A little self-conscious of the ankh like symbol that showed his employment by the Magic Council embroidered on his jacket. However, Naruto wasn't too worried. Fairy Tail was accepting, and he was one of them, no matter what path he might lead away from them, Naruto was a member of Fairy Tail.

Naruto loved Fairy Tail.

The vibrancy of each member, quirks, fetishes, talents, flaws, and sheer uniqueness made them who they were. Naruto wouldn't trade those seven years of memories for anything; not even another chance back as a shinobi. He craved for his old friends, and old life, but he had been given a new chance at life. It wasn't all good memories, but he was beginning to realise that he had to look to the good rather than the bad.

Even starchy old men like Guran Doma weren't all that bad.

His mind was still digesting the meeting with the man, in which Naruto had many questions answered, and had successfully gotten out of going to Caelum. As far as Naruto knew, a Rune Knight Captain by the name of Nawaki -something - was being dispatched. He had questioned the wisdom of that decision, compared to mages in guilds, a Captain weren't really in general as powerful as most mages in guilds. Of course, that was when Guran Doma had asked him coolly, if Naruto really wanted to go since he was protesting against his decision again, and that the younger brother of Tsunade Kato was more than enough.

So caught up in his thoughts, Naruto nearly missed the Guild. Fairy Tail was bigger than ever, his jaw dropped, and he forget the reason why he had returned momentarily. It looked so grand with the rebuilding complete. He swallowed, lost in nostalgia, he felt regret that the original building was no longer standing, so many memories had been made there, but he couldn't help himself when it came to finding himself impressed.

After seven minutes, he couldn't just procrastinate any longer. He made his way through the unfamiliar new Fairy Tail, finding himself impressed and sad, both at the same time. It was different.

It took him a further three minutes to find himself in the company of the members of Fairy Tail.

Busy engaging in conversation, drinks, and the occasional fist fight, nobody noticed him at first. Of course, all it took was for Gray and Natsu to find themselves tumbling on the ground, engaging in the age-old art of brawling, and nearly slamming into Naruto for his presence to be announced. Rather than be caught up in the brawl, he sent them flying with gusts of winds, not too much power in it, but Natsu jumped to his feet, waving his arms wildly and bellowing in excitement.

"_Naruuuuuto!_ Fight me!" The pink haired Dragon-slayer kept repeating, staring at Naruto. Natsu clearly was hungry for battle with Naruto, which was new to Naruto. The younger boy had never been interested in fighting him before, which was probably because Naruto had never had a big reputation, but that had probably changed now that Natsu had learned that Naruto was for all intents and purposes the son of Minato Namikaze.

Naruto was bombarded with random cheers, a few hugs, and genuine enquiries as to how he had been.

Erza stood up, abandoning her cake, and looked at Naruto with an analytic expression in her eyes. "Naruto," she greeted him cordially. "Is it Council Business that brings you here, or do you come here as our friend?" She asked in a conversational tone of voice, but the other members of Fairy Tail fell back, not quite so eager to welcome him.

Naruto felt the corners of his lips pick up into a small smile. "No, I'm here as Naruto Uzumaki, a member of Fairy Tail. Erza, I never got the chance to say goodbye, you know, and I missed being...home."

Satisfied the red-head smiled genuinely. "Welcome home."

The others returned to their previously jovial welcoming, and Naruto found it difficult not to get caught up in the light atmosphere, the burden of the news he held was enough to do so. Still, it didn't detract from has happiness to see them all. The reason he was here was oblivious to his arrival, in a corner stool, absorbed in her book.

"I'm mainly here to see Levy actually." He admitted. "I'd appreciate it if you guys tone it down a bit, it's important."

Erza frowned, although she did nod in agreement. "I'll keep them quiet." She promised, despite her own obvious curiosity.

Naruto walked over towards Levy, each step was reluctant, when he reached the girl, he tapped her on the shoulder.

Levy looked up from her book in surprise. "Naruto! You came to visit!" The blue haired girl exclaimed, a wide smile spreading across her face, she jumped up from the stool and went to hug the older man.

Although, if she recalled, he wasn't much for hugs, she was going to pull away, but to her surprise he wrapped his arms around her in return.

"Levy, you look all grown up," Naruto said to her, a mercurial smile on his lips. "I'm not here to visit, I wish I was, I really do, Levy. " He looked at her, blue eyes weighed down with sorrow. "I thought it'd be better to hear it from me." He continued, not quite willing to get right down to the moment.

"To hear what, Naruto? " Levy enquired innocently.

She hadn't caught the restrained sadness in his bearing, too happy to see him again. She probably was thinking he had some news to share to the Guild.

"It is about your cousin." He swallowed, saliva having pooled in his mouth. Levy wouldn't take it well, not that Naruto would blame her, and it was for that reason why he had made the decision to tell her the bad news personally.

Levy cocked her head to the side, her smile vanishing. "What do you mean?" She asked him, nervously chewing her lip.

Naruto took the plunge. "He's gone, Levy. I'm sorry. I really am."

She didn't cry straight away, but steadily asked, even if her voice was beginning to tremble. "How?" The intelligent girl had probably already surmised that it wasn't by regular means, not if Naruto had found out about it.

"Two members of Grimoire Heart, it's a dark guild, a particularly powerful one. Your cousin and his relatives were part of a group of tourists who were the victims. " He replied honestly. Levy looked at him, tears welling in her widened eyes, slightly glazed as she struggled to process it all. Her small hands curled into fists and her arms wrapped around her chest, cradling herself. "They won't ever hurt anyone, not again. Never!" Naruto said fiercely, wrapping his own arms around the smaller girl, pulling her to his chest, her tears beginning to seep into his coat.

Her tears made him wish he could end the life of Zancrow again, and again. No amount of punishment would be enough, not when Levy cried in his arms. In such a world, it simply wasn't fair that the innocent suffered, and the evil somehow flourished. To a high extent, a mage accepted that they may die, or suffer terrible injuries, but their relatives weren't part of that equation.

At least Levy wasn't alone. That was all Naruto could console his own sorrow with, little Jean McGarden was dead now, he was at peace, but Levy was still alive and would be grieving. If there was one thing that he understood was that death was easy on the one who died, but infinitely harder on those left behind.

"Naruto..." She sobbed, lifting her head away from his chest, cheeks tear streaked and skin blotchy. "...why? How did it have to be them, they didn't have magic, they were just ordinary people." Her eyes were questioning, she was a younger sibling looking to an older one for answers that he couldn't give.

"Evil doesn't discriminate," Naruto answered softly. "Cry now, but then don't shed anymore tears. Live your life without regrets, remember your cousin, Levy, but don't let yourself be eaten up with inconsolable grief." He knew the guilt she was feeling now, except unlike Levy, Naruto had been present. Levy wouldn't want false platitudes of how it was okay, or it was a tragedy, it was, but it was a real fact of life.

By now, the eavesdropping members were suitably sober faced, having heard everything that Naruto had said to Levy. Barely holding themselves back from rushing to Levy, holding her close, and telling her everything was going to be okay, they tried to maintain a distance, yet also to remain as close as they could without crowding the girl.

She couldn't form words, incomprehensible babble as sobs wracked her body was the best she could manage. Naruto simply held her, knowing tears were the best remedy for someone like Levy. She wasn't stupid enough to wallow in grief, she was a Fairy Tail member, she would mourn for a time, but in the end she would smile again.

It was none other than Lucy Heartfilia that pulled Levy from Naruto.

The pretty brown-eyed Celestial Spirit mage hugged the blue haired girl, and said firmly. "I'm taking Levy to my home, okay? If a certain Dragon-slayer and cat dare to enter without my permission..." she turned her face and stared pointedly at Natsu and his feline companion. Her eyes narrowed as she warned the duo to stay away.

Naruto stepped back, knowing that Levy would be in good hands. Naruto didn't know the still rather new member of Fairy Tail well, he did know that the two girls had bonded closely during the short time that the young female blonde had been a member, and that she would probably be better company than Naruto.

When they left, Master Makarov strode towards Naruto, and held out his hand.

Naruto took it and they shook hands.

"Despite the tragic circumstances that prompted your return, it is warming to see the return of another of my children, Naruto." The Wizard Saint said solemnly. His wrinkled face had aged a little more in the time since Naruto had last seen the man, but it was still the same Makarov Dreyar that Naruto admired.

"They made me a Wizard Saint." Naruto said suddenly, he hadn't planned on saying anything, but the weight of such a title was a little scary, and Naruto needed reassurance and advice from one of the people he trusted the most in the entirety of Earthland.

Makarov nodded. "Of course, all Wizard Saints were alerted once the deliberations came to an end, my boy. I knew before you did, and I offer you my congratulations. You have made your Guild proud."

His heart skipped a beat. Naruto despite still wearing the mark of Fairy Tail proudly still had doubts. It had been silly, Makarov despite his age wasn't senile, and if he had chosen to remove Naruto from Fairy Tail, he would have removed the mark. Hearing the words proclaiming his membership still, well, it siphoned away some of the weight that was accumulating on his shoulders. "Wait until Natsu learns about it." He offered with a slight grin.

Makarov chuckled. "I think he just did."

Naruto directed his gaze at the boy on the floor. "I think it broke him." He said slowly, looking at the comically flat on the floor and still pink haired Fire Dragon-slayer. A shiver ran down his spine, he ignored it, and instead found himself kneeling down beside Natsu, and poking him in the side and getting no reaction.

"Let him take it in. Undoubtedly he'll be chasing you in order to test himself against you," Makarov interjected. "I think that we should have a talk, so much is in motion, I think we should break out the good whiskey and simply talk."

Naruto might not have ignored that shiver if he had known.

* * *

The ground was stained red.

Oddly beautiful in its own way, she couldn't help it, she kept admiring the way blood spilled on the ground, even if it were her own. She knew that it should horrify her, make her want to move faster, strike harder, and do something other than admire the proof of her own weakness. Her curly hair framed her face, a slash down her right cheek bled heavily, and she was gasping in air, standing exposed.

He was far stronger than she was, there was no use trying to fight on, not when the end was already decided.

It was when all was beginning to seem lost, punches and kicks sent her flying about like a rag doll, she didn't resist, not until she remembered what Naruto Uzumaki had said to her: _"Hope burns on forever, as long as your heart still beats, that hope can empower you, nothing is ever as certain as you believe it to be. A hopeless battle is only hopeless if you believe it to be so! That is why I believe that there is hope that one day all magic will be used for good purposes. "_ She hadn't understood it back then.

It was now that she realised that the ending only seemed decided because she had given up.

"I won't die on this bloody ground! I won't die to someone like you! No! No!" She roared loudly, intercepting a kick with her own leg, grabbing the leg with her hand and pulling the figure close to her, so she could slam a fist into his face. It connected with a satisfying sound of impact, even if for her troubles she was flung backwards, any leverage she had possessed before nothing in the face of this opponent.

The figure just chuckled. "Yes, yes. Fight hard little mage, show me what you can do, show me the power of _his_ right hand."

The only person the figure could be referring to was Naruto. In the short time she had been his comrade, even his friend, she had gained the title of his Second. Although, they consisted of just the two of them, they would be enlarging given time, and that made her Naruto's right hand. _Naruto what have you gotten me into? _Tenten couldn't help herself when she thought that.

She prepared herself, magical power spiking, she was running out of magic, she doubted even having magical power the equivalent to powerhouses like Naruto would do much. As much as she hated to admit it, she was outclassed in terms of prowess, but it didn't mean she would give up. She extended her arms. _"Flames rise from the darkness; through the blade forged from the breath of dragons old; a blade outlasting the ravaging of time; in the hand of heroes; the bane of villains..." _She summoned a giant broadsword, both hands gripping it, and she braced herself against its weight. "..._roar Sword of the Flaming Dragon of Old!Live again...Darioko!"_ Flames spilled from the sword, enveloping Tenten in a flaming shroud, the flames were black, yet mixed with flames of dark blue. Her clothes replaced with a dress of dragonscales. She stood straight, her injuries forgotten, new strength from her magic empowering her. Her eyes turned blue, ringed with black, and flames licked down her arms as she raised the great sword, pointing it towards the man who stood staring at her.

Impressed he clapped his hands, to her ears it was simply him mocking her. "Not bad at all, to be able to summon such dangerous and forgotten magic, you truly are impressive." He raised his head, showing his face to her for the first time in the battle, she looked at him, memorising his face. "You just aren't at my level." He said simply and a mist of black air surrounded him. "Suffocate." He intoned simply.

Charging forwards, she raised the broadsword, she swung Darioko, her opponent jumped into the air, supposed by the same black mist that he had invoked, and that was trying to surround her.

The ground trembled beneath the clash of two great mages, with each step forwards, the ground groaned beneath the force of their spiking magical power. Empowered she slashed once more at the cloaked man, Darioko spewing black flames that licked at the arm of her enemy, and burned away the fabric, eating away at the skin.

"Devour him!" She yelled, hoping that the sentient sword possessed with the spirit of a Dragon would be able to do it. This was the last of the spells in her arsenal, with this final attack she was pinning all her hopes of survival into Darioko being the additional strength she needed to get through this. She had her suspicions, if this man was after Naruto, he could be the one person who had utterly destroyed him.

A disc of black magical energy smacked into her from behind, and she turned to see that her opponent was behind her, but how? She didn't understand how once again she was so outclassed, she knew she wasn't weak. She remembered her own words all those years ago: _I want to be a great and powerful mage! _She had reached that goal. She felt whatever energy she had being siphoned away from her, and now she realised exactly what type of monster she was facing.

She swung Darioko again, screaming in tandem with the flames that accompanied it, grunting from the exertion. Sweat poured from her forehead, down her back, trickling down between her breasts. She didn't care, covered in slashes, wounds, bruises and with skin that was dry despite the sweat pouring off her, all she knew was that even if this battle could not end in her victory, she would be content with ending it on her own terms.

The broadsword melted and in its place a sword made entirely of flames formed, held in her hands, her armour disappearing and being replaced with what remained of her original clothes, the scales flying towards the flames and fuelling it further. "Dragon's Requiem!"She called out, the last of her magic channelling right into the sword of flames. She closed her eyes, she couldn't trust them with this, not when they were so easily fooled.

She pivoted, bringing the flames with her, and with speed she didn't know she possessed charged.

She made contact, just as the black mist surrounded her completely, entering her mouth, nose and ears.

His arms crossed, the flame attack dissipating when it made contact with him. "You fought well, but you weren't enough to defeat me. I am GOD!"

The grass on which he stood blackened, and the last thing that Tenten thought of was that she understood why Naruto had been so outclassed all those years ago.

* * *

Naruto dropped the bottle, as scars along his arm burst open, black blood spilling from them. The whiskey smashed, the amber liquid covering the floor. Naruto staggered forwards, landing in front of Makarov, his body shaking violently in a seizure. His eyes rolling around wildly, blood continuing to soak the sleeves of his white t-shirt.

The older man grabbed Naruto despite the difference in heights. "MIRAJANE, GET WENDY!" He bellowed, using magic to amplify his voice as he used his Titan Magic to give him the size neccessary to carry the blonde who by now had blood coming from his nose and ears. He looked at one of the oldest of those he considered children. He left the room, running until he met Mirajane who had Wendy at her side. Blood was beginning to come from his mouth, terrible screams escaping as well, Makarov put him down in the bar. "He's getting worse, we don't have time to get him to the Infirmary!"

Despite the blood. The youngest mage of Fairy Tail determinedly set to work, blood covering her dress, her bare arms, and tears falling down her scrunched up face.

As sudden as it began it stopped.

Makarov sighed in relief. "Wendy, you did it, you saved his life." Gratefully he looked at his youngest child, taking in the blood that stained her clothes, and most likely his: black blood.

The small girl shook her head. "It wasn't me, Master. It stopped by itself, but he needs blood, he lost too much, if he doesn't get to a proper hospital soon, he may not survive. He lost a lot of blood." She said, pale and her eyes not leaving the blood that seemed to be everywhere.

"Mirajane get Wendy cleaned up." Makarov ordered, the barmaid nodded, and gently led the young girl away.

"Macao, I want you and Wakaba to get Naruto to the nearest hospital, we don't have the blood supplies to treat him here. Elfman, I want you to clean up. Jet, you must go to Porlyusica and bring her here. Don't take no for an answer, tell her that Kushina's son is in grave condition. " He ordered them. His mind couldn't help but bring up the image of the red haired woman who had died more than twenty five years ago, a vibrant woman, her sole legacy to the world was being picked up by two men and carried out the doors of the Guild.

Grim-faced he turned to the few remaining in the Guild this late. "Naruto is a extraordinary mage, he will be fine, don't start crying on me now. Naruto doesn't like to have tears shed for him , and none of you tell Levy!" He curled his fists, his Titan Magic being released, and somehow ended up with those still there swarming around him and his own arms wrapping around as many as the small man could manage to.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Rambling:

Each chapter just gets more difficult to write. I won't let it stop me, not at all, I really do have some exciting plans with this story. So not to worry, it'll be updated, I'm aiming for weekly- fortnightly updates of 5000 words plus. Not sure exactly what I think about this chapter, but I'll be trying to pick up the pace in the next chapter.

* * *

Mirajane Strauss couldn't quite bring herself to reconcile the unconscious mage with the man she remembered from her childhood years. To her shame, she didn't really know the man before her, in those days she'd been a little rude and rebellious, so it wasn't so surprising that her recollections of an older member were scant. Oh dear, she truly was ashamed that she had been so negligent in getting to know a member of Fairy Tail.

Resolved to make amends, Mirajane had sat by his bedside in wait for him to awaken. Once Porlyusica had applied some salves to the raw looking scars that covered him, the elderly witch had announced him as stable, and simply left. So she entertained herself by watching the sleeping blonde. Even with scars, she had found herself giggling coquettishly when his sleeping shirt had rode up, showing the lean muscular planes of his stomach and chest. Her hand covering her mouth, trying to muffle her giggles lest she wake him up before he was ready, had been the image she would have presented to any who popped their heads into the room.

Despite him being much older than Mirajane, she had to acknowledge that like many of the males of Fairy Tail, he was rather handsome. That was all there was, what really was making the barmaid curious, was his story. Her role in the administrative side of Fairy Tail, and serving at the bar meant that she heard the woes, joys and fears of all her fellow Fairy Tail members. Not that Mirajane minded at all. She enjoyed helping them in any way she could.

She knew everyone in Fairy Tail.

Except Naruto Uzumaki.

It truly was an oversight that could not continue, especially when she knew that he had been a member of Fairy Tail for seven long years! Mirajane reached out a hand, touching his forehead, smoothing creases that had formed, obviously his sleep wasn't particularly restful.

"Who are you Naruto Uzumaki?" She asked aloud, stroking through blonde stubble that was beginning to grow out a little. "I wonder just what is making you so stressed while you sleep." She mused as she adjusted his blankets so that they reached further up his chest.

* * *

_And she_ _kissed him. Full on the mouth, something that was bold, so unlike her gentle nature. Naruto didn't complain, and instead threw himself into the kiss, taking control of it, savouring the gasp that escaped from her as his hands found their way around her waist. One hand crept up her side, over to her shoulder, diverting only for rough fingertips to stroke the curve of her neck, before returning to its original destination of her thick hair. It was everything he had imagined, smoother than the petals of the Abaina Flower; a sheen to it comparable to the ocean pearls found by the Caelum Kingdom._

_The kiss was clumsy. Both inexperienced, but enthusiastic in exploring this new experience gave it a quality that not even well-practiced skill could give, this was all passion. They pulled apart only when their body begged for oxygen, they pulled apart reluctantly, staring at each other, drawing in ragged breaths all the while. "Why did you kiss me?" He had asked stupidly, looking at his childhood friend, seeing her differently. He didn't see the girl she had been, no, all he could notice now was the curve of her breasts underneath her blouse, the way she dipped in at the waist, flairing out at the hips, and curve of her bottom._

_Crimson splashed across her cheeks, something that he found fascinated him immensely, for the contrast of her creamy coloured skin with the bright red made her embarrassment pretty. Both of her hands met, fingers entwining as she averted her eyes downwards. "I..I...like you." She managed to say, and he could tell how badly she wanted to run from him._

_Naruto Namikaze felt a wide grin spread across his face, pink spots appearing on his tanned cheeks, and his striking eyes of blue staring into hers. "Heh, I, er, really like you as well." He admitted bashfully, averting his gaze towards the water, but sneaking glances at the other 15-year-old._

_She eeped, a noise that Naruto had never knew even existed, and she fell into his arms, and they stood locked in an embrace._

* * *

_Naruto Uzumaki shook his head looking at fellow recruit Kiba Reddawg. The Earthland version of his old comrade Kiba Inuzuka. "You don't get it, it's better this way, it is better for her." He snapped at the spiky haired prospective Rune Knight. And it truly was better for her - Naruto Uzumaki wasn't quite the boy who professed love for her. He brought a hand to his temple, gritting his teeth at how Kiba unknowingly rubbed salt in the wounds._

_He loved her, even if he wasn't the same person, not quite. It was because he felt this all-consuming force of passion towards her that he couldn't deceive her, he couldn't claim to be Naruto Namikaze. It didn't matter that Naruto Namikaze was Naruto Uzumaki now, no, because the memories might be there, but he hadn't lived those memories. He wondered how many tears she would shed, falling from her perfect eyes, he'd loved looking - no, Naruto Namikaze had loved that. His fists curled, nails indenting into the flesh of his palm, drawing blood that beaded along the small half-moon cut._

_"What the hell is up with you, Namikaze? You've been acting strange for weeks now, you think you're too good for us all now that you've been taken out with fully trained Knights?" Kiba had snarled, advancing towards Naruto, eyes flashing furiously._

_"It's Uzumaki. U-zu-ma-ki, and I'm fine. Stop bothering me." He answered in annoyance. He automatically registered the brown-haired boy as a threat, tensing and magical power rising, boiling below his surface, just waiting to be allowed to erupt._

_The brown-haired teenager scoffed. "You know what, screw you, and your mother. I don't give a damn, you've changed, Naruto. It wasn't for the better. When you decide to remember your friends and the girl who loves you, maybe we'll talk." He pushed Naruto backwards, a shove to the chest, storming out the room and closing the door with a slam._

_Naruto watched it helpless to say anything, or do anything to mend the bridge that had just been burned into cinders._

* * *

_She stood before him, earnest eyes meeting his own, even if he tried to cast his gaze away. She looked beautiful, even dressed in a shapeless smock,with that lovely hair that he loved piled into a chaotic bun. He swallowed, his hands reaching out to touch her, except he pulled them back as if she was a naked flame, and simply drank her in. Steeling himself, he struggled to control the tempest of need within him, need for her. Instead he stared at her, expression slipping from his face, and replaced with blankness._

_"Naruto..." She called out to him, her eyes moistening when Naruto didn't move to respond. One soft delicate hand reached out towards him, he encircled the wrist before it came close to touching him, and pushed it back towards her. "Naruto..." She repeated once more, once again not continuing the sentence._

_He shook his head. "Get on with your life, don't wait for me. Don't. I won't be returning, no matter how long you wait." Each word was torn from him, leaving him filled with such intense hatred towards himself that he wanted to physically vomit. He wanted to wrap himself around her, kiss her full on those lips, and soak in the soft perfume lavender that was her, only her._

_Tears filled her eyes, she nodded violently, spinning around, and ran._

_"I'm sorry." He whispered sadly, knowing she would always question how true his love for her had been. "I'm so sorry, just know that my love for you doesn't change, even if I'm not the one you loved."_

_She was long gone by then._

* * *

_The pain lessened with time, as he found himself smothering many of the less essential memories belonging to his counterpart, the boy that had merged with him. Being a Rune Knight wasn't like being a ninja, but it was close enough to what he was familiar with, and left him in the position to advance his knowledge and exploration of magic._

_Naruto was remarkably good at being a Rune Knight. __He ran faster than the others, his quick grasp at new abilities gave him the title of being the strongest, and his skill gave him recognition higher up the ranks._

_He missed home, for Konoha was home, even if he ate often with Ayame, the Earthland one. She was probably the sole selfish pleasure he allowed himself, he had given up her, but he kept the sister -like figure, even if he wasn't the Naruto Namikaze she had watched grow up._

_She'd married within a year, so he knew he'd done the right thing, she had a son, although he didn't know when he'd been born. Naruto thought of all this, sitting outside his tent, on the damp grass as he stared out into the fire, wondering if that child would've been his if he'd been selfish enough to play the man she'd loved._

_His heart had burned, twisting around inside his chest, jealousy towards that man who had her love, who had fathered her child. The child that should have been his. They had a family now, and Naruto envied that man who had her love, who she gave a child, for he had what Naruto had wanted. Yet she must be happy. Therein lay the consolation prize, to know that she would watch a child, one with her eyes play, perhaps roughhousing with a tall faceless man. A man who should-be been Naruto._

* * *

_The first time that he had met Gildarts Clive had been the first time since Morta Island that he had found himself something other than apathetic. Staring out into nowhere, drinking whiskey with no real concern as to how much he was consuming, Naruto had been brought back to awareness by a loud and cheerful question._

_"Why you so sad-looking? Did someone kill your puppy, or something?" A tall man, well, around the same height as Naruto, but since Naruto was hunched over a bar, sitting on a stool, he seemed smaller when faced by the man who stood. _

_Naruto had ignored the man, he had taken note of the aura of strength that surrounded the man, but sensed nothing threatening. He didn't feel like talking, he honestly didn't know what he was supposed to do now. In his life, he had always had clear goals, always knew what he wanted. Now, he didn't know. Where did he go from here?_

_The man had frowned in response. "Ignoring someone isn't very nice," he pointed out," Unless someone really did kill your puppy. In that case, oops. My ex-wife always did say I was insensitive."_

_Under different circumstances Naruto might have snorted, instead he flashed a quick, reluctant smile. "Sorry," he muttered. "I'm just newly unemployed and celebrating an end to a short and notorious career." Why did he share it? Naruto didn't know, but the man did seem to set him at ease, or maybe it was the fact he'd been drinking plenty of whiskey for what seemed like hours. Probably just the whiskey talking. _

_"I've been there before," the man had sympathised. "The name is Gildarts. Gildarts Clive of Fairy Tail."_

_Naruto's eyes lit up at the mention of Fairy Tail. "Makarov Dreyar's Guild, right? I've heard good things about it, it's predicted to rise to take over from Phantom Lord as the top Fiore Guild in a few years." He'd said, trying to make up for his earlier rudeness. Not that the young blonde didn't have an interest in the rising Magnolia based Guild. _

_Gildarts Clive had just smiled proudly. "Got some good young ones in Fairy Tail. Our future is bright, what with having such talented kids."_

_"Ah, the name is Naruto Uzumaki, ex- Rune Knight Commander, as of today that is," He introduced himself with forced brightness, trying to make light of his circumstances, being a Rune Knight was all he knew in Earthland, and now he was without that. _

_Recognition filled the chestnut haired Fairy Tail mage, and Naruto knew that he was probably realising that Naruto was the lone survivor. The media had latched onto it for a few weeks, a heroic lone survivor of a tragic expedition to protect the people of Fiore, of Earthland, really. Naruto had reasoned that it could have been worse, they could have started a slander campaign against him, blaming him for the deaths of fifty men. _

_"Nasty business that was, but I guess you know that, kid." Gildarts had simply said, stealing Naruto's bottle of whiskey and drinking straight from the bottle. "There sure is some monsters out there, ones that even S-rank mages like us are childs play for. All you can do is do better next time, no use drowning yourself with expensive whiskey, leave it to old guys like me to finish it...you can come to Fairy Tail. If anything will tear you from your funk, well, those brats back home will. Besides, I'm away too much, going to need someone to keep an eye on them. What do you think?"_

_Well, Naruto thought that the sly older man just really wanted free expensive whiskey. And was making a pretty good offer. What did he have to lose? This was exactly what Naruto had been wanting, finding what to do next. "Sure." He answered with a shrug, before retrieving his whiskey and taking a swig._

_Gildarts reached out a hand, grabbed the whiskey from Naruto again. "Didn't your mother ever tell you to share?" The older man had asked, smoothly draining a third of the liquid that remained in the bottle with practiced ease._

Flashback Sequence End

* * *

It was with great reluctance that he opened his eyes, the room was dark, it was empty except from him, but opening his eyes meant acknowledging that the antiseptic smell was real, and he was in a hospital room. Again. He remembered everything from the moment that black blood that burned him from within, through his veins, and out from old scars.

To be frank, Naruto was still a little scared, to think that for seven years that poison had lurked within him, and only now bled from him. What had it been doing to him? It was as if his blood had turned to ink. Ink that had been heated to beyond boiling, then like the burst nib of a fine fountain pain, his scars had leaked blood.

He knew exactly what had happened, or what he was guessing had happened. Up until he was speaking to Makarov, drinking some whiskey, and discussing plans for the future, then suddenly he had involuntarily rewarding the ground with his blood. Oh, the pain, he remembered the haze of pain. Blood flowing through his veins had seemed to turn to acid, forcibly suctioned out of his body, he couldn't help but shudder at the memory. That had really hurt.

It was only when he heard a light snore that Naruto became aware that there was another in the room. Curled up in one of the chairs, head tilted back, and mouth slightly open was Mirajane. Sitting up made his muscles protest at the sudden movement, but there was no stiffness, nothing to indicate that he shouldn't be moving, so he let the blankets slide down, twisted his body so his feet touched the ground.

Mirajane must have been watching over him, he realised feeling rather touched at the gesture.

Grabbing the blankets from the bed, he placed them over the sleeping barmaid, she didn't stir, but simply curled up a little tighter, making strange snuffling noises. Naruto couldn't help himself when he snorted at the sight. Mirajane Strauss had a force of nature back when she was younger, and to see her so demure nowadays still took him off guard, yet when she slept, she looked much younger, and vulnerable.

Naruto walked towards the curtains, it took him a few seconds to wake his legs up, and he made a tiny gap between the two curtains, looking out into the streets as to acertain where he was. Satisfied that he knew exactly where he was, it was now up to him to find some proper clothes to wear. He had been dressed in a long sleeping shirt, which had a picture of a rabbit on it. Yeah, he really had to get proper clothes to wear, he wouldn't dare walk outside wearing this, not when sooner or later the media would be chasing him due to his appointment as a Wizard Saint.

Wizard Saint, he was going to be a Wizard Saint. Did it truly just hit him, did the fact that he was in name joining the ranks of the elite, and would be amongst the most famous men in Earthland? It hadn't hit him until that moment the weight of the title he would now carry.

* * *

"Listen up! What are all you guys doing? This isn't time to hold a wake, get moving, and go and see Levy!" Stepping through the doors into the building Naruto crossed his arms against his chest and stared expectantly at the other members of Fairy Tail.

"We were trying to be respectful. Erza told us that we had to behave ourselves and conduct ourselves in a solemn and thus suitable manner for the tragic events that have happened to our fellow comrades." Naruto was told that by at least three different members of Fairy Tail, and the twenty-six year old man couldn't help it, he just laughed. He had known for years that Erza was considered scary by those in Fairy Tail, yet still found it odd that even those double her age were scared of her.

"That is the wrong thing to do. Levy wouldn't want you guys to act differently, that'll just make the pain she feels worse, what she wants is for some normality. Which means that you idiots get to do what you do best, destroy things!" Despite knowing that because he was a Commander with the Magic Council he probably wasn't supposed to be encouraging Fairy Tail antics, Naruto didn't care one jot.

Everyone was beginning to perk up again. Naruto watched their antics with a certain fondness despite the suspicion rearing its ugly head that he would soon be regretting his encouragement. Fairy Tail was famous for its destructive tendencies, and that was just by accident, it wasn't so hard to fear the results of encouragement in actively doing so to cheer up one of their fellow members.

Naruto seated himself by the bar, beside the brunette Cana Alberona.

"Does Mirajane know that you've broken into the beer supply room?" He asked her, figuring that judging from the three empty barrels, that Cana had taken advantage of the barmaid being gone, and liberated several barrels.

Hiccuping Cana shook her head. "Not at all, making good use of her absence, she's watching you, well, she was since you're now here." The young woman frowned staring at Naruto with an unusual look in her eyes. "Why did you start bleeding, Master never told us what happened, and it looked bad."

How did he explain it to anyone. They might know of his position, none of them would know of why he joined Fairy Tail, but Cana stared at him evenly, despite drinking enough beer to kill lesser people, and he found himself inexplicably reminded of another Fairy Tail member - Gildarts Clive. Naruto chuckled, for a few brief seconds he had seen Gildarts in Cana's place. "You remind me of Gildarts when you push for answers, that man never takes no for an answer." He commented.

Cana paled, dropping the barrel she was drinking from on the ground.

"Hey! It was a compliment, he might be strange, but Gildarts is a good man. I first met him in a bar, the bastard stole my whiskey," Naruto recalled with a faint smile. "He invited me to join Fairy Tail. I wonder how the old man is doing, not heard from him much since he went off on that quest of his, but to answer your question, it was just an old injury flaring up."

Cana went from white-faced to dubious in the span of a second, narrowing her eyes in suspicion, and pushing her chest out as she straightened her posture up wagged a finger at Naruto. "I am nothing like that old guy!" She protested loudly. "And that isn't a proper answer, Naruto!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You don't see it? You drink just as much as him, and you have amazing latent magical reserves, Cana. You do remind me of him, in a good way, it's strange, there is something about you that makes me think of Gildarts. I don't know why it does." Naruto frowned as he tried to work out what it was, he stared at Cana, remembering her throughout the years, it was only then that he realised why. "Your determination, you are just like Gildarts because of the expression you both get when you are determined to do something. " He realised with a rather proud grin spreading across his face.

Cana was strangely quiet after he spoke, and he couldn't help but wonder if he had said something wrong.

"You still didn't give me a proper answer." She finally spoke up again.

Naruto gave a shrug in reply. "I guess I didn't. I'll tell you, I've learned recently that I've lived too long in the past, hoarding it close to me, and letting it eat away at what ever happiness I found myself gaining at Fairy Tail. It's not an easy process, discarding the chains of my past, but sharing it with others helps. Although, are you sure that you want to stay and listen, I'm sure you'd rather go see Levy."

Cana nodded in reply.

"Levy has others to be with her right now. I want to hear your story, let me understand your pain, Naruto."

His eyes widened at her demand.

"Cana..." he stared at her in surprise, warmth welling up within his chest, Cana Alberona was more than what he had ever realised. He nodded at her demand. "Okay." He looked around the room, it was empty, the others had listened to him, and while he had been occupied with Cana departed from the Guild. " I'm not from Earthland originally." He admitted and felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

"Huh, but your parents, your dad was Minato Namikaze, how?"

"Mortally wounded during a battle with a misguided man. I think that the horrors of war that he endured sent him spiralling into despair and insanity, he hatched a plan to deploy a giant illusion that would control everyone. Nobody would fight each other, the cycle of war would be broken, it sounds good right?" Naruto asked Cana evenly.

When Cana nodded despite looking dubious.

Naruto slammed a fist against the bar, the wood splintered beneath the blow, and he shook his head. "No! It isn't good. By taking the free will of the people, there wouldn't be any true living, people would be mere puppets. What he was doing was wrong, there is more to it, but you wouldn't understand. To defeat him and his army, all ninja discarded their respective loyalties and entered the war under one banner. So many died, yet we all kept fighting onwards, as it were, I engaged that man in one desperate battle. I won, but the price of such a result was my death. Overtaxed, my body was shutting down..."

"You aren't lying, are you, Naruto?" Cana interrupted him with the question. "It sounds all so impossible, but I can tell, you aren't lying to me. That world really does exist, but I don't understand how you could not be of this world, yet have parents here."

"In Earthland, a young trainee Rune Knight lay dying, a demon of Zeref had been set free, and he was the first casualty because he had taken it upon himself to hold the demon back while the others evacuated the village. I don't know how, or why, but we ceased to exist as counterparts, and we became one person. However, my will to live was stronger? Or maybe he was simply weakened too much, but it was me that became the dominant Naruto. I had all of my counterparts memories, feelings, and abilities, but Naruto Namikaze ceased to exist that day, and it was I that lived."

Cana retrieved her beer and took a mouthful, and swallowed. "There I thought that I had it bad when my mother died, and I came to Fairy Tail to..." she trailed off suddenly. "Finish the story before I drink enough to knock me out."

"I took on this life, there was nothing else for me to do, and I became known as a prodigy. Within two years I had my own Division. You might not know it, but seven years ago, I was a favourite of the Council. They like having skilled and loyal mages under their control. I was happy, at first it had been hard, but I reconciled what had happened. It wasn't my fault, and I was grateful, I missed my old world, but just as Naruto Namikaze had loved his life...I did as well. Earthland was peaceful, it was like something from my dreams. " Naruto beamed at her, despite knowing what was coming next in his tale. "I devoted myself to fighting against those that threatened that peace - dark mages. Seven years ago, we received information that people were going missing near the shores of an island. I led them to that place, and one man killed all of my friends, all of whom were also my comrades. He defeated me, left me to the ocean, I would have died also if not for being picked from the seas by a passing cruise."

They lapsed into silence, the brunette female already guessing the conclusion to that story, and content to think on it.

"Wow. " She finally said. "You sure are the mysterious guy that I pegged you as being. Who else have you told all of this?"

"Nobody." He answered slowly. "Cana, I want to thank you for listening, this has been a burden to me for many years, and to finally share it...I have no words." Naruto smiled at her gratefully, he knew he looked tired and worn, yet he felt so much lighter by sharing all of this, even if to the most unlikeliest of people.

"Gildartsismydad," the brunette mumbled quickly.

"Gildarts is...?" Naruto asked her, she had spoken too quickly for him to make out all of what she had said.

"Gildarts is my dad."

"He never said that he had a daughter," Naruto replied stupidly before actually thinking. "He doesn't know, does he?" Naruto realised looking at Cana for confirmation, she nodded in reply. The young woman was peering into her beer barrel, as if she was debating drowning herself in it. "Right! Well, that will have to be changed, definitely! Parents and their children shouldn't be apart unless they have to be. "

He raised his hand, a small Communication Lacrima appearing on the palm, in the shape of a crystal ball, it was compact and seemed like an ordinary sphere. "Gildarts Clive!" Naruto yelled at the sphere, holding it above Cana's reach, the brunette abandoning her beer as she tried to stop him from doing so. He knew it was really up to Cana to tell Gildarts, but his friend deserved to know that he had a daughter so close to him.

Naruto could never take it if he had a child that he didn't know about.

A bleary eyed chestnut haired man appeared. "Naruto? What's going on? Hey, is that Cana?" Gildarts Clive began to reanimate, while he tried to work out why he was being contacted so late at night.

"Say, what do you think about being a father?" Naruto asked his friend.

"Doubt I'd be a good one, so did you contact me just to ask that?"

"Oh, no. I called you to congratulate you on being the father to a nubile eighteen year old!" Naruto could help, but grin wickedly at his friends wide mouth, that began flapping open and shut. " Say hi to Cana Alberona...Clive."

Cana squeaked and grabbed the lacrima, smashing it against the wall, the last thing both of them hearing from Gildarts was something reminiscent of choking. "How could you do that to me?" Cana demanded. "It was for me-"

Naruto lost his smile. "It was for you to tell him, but you had about twelve years to tell him, Cana. You didn't tell him. Were you ever going to tell him? He deserved to know. It may not have been for me to take that choice away from you, yet I cannot regret it, not when he is my friend. Do you want to know what he told me once?"

Taking the bait, she nodded, her anger at Naruto's actions momentarily appeased.

"He told me that his biggest regret in life was losing any chance of a family with his ex-wife. Even to this day he loves Cornelia. Gildarts would have loved to know he had a child, his greatest regret was not having a family! You were being selfish. "

"Cornelia..." Cana repeated softly. "They were married? He loved her, he actually loved my mother." Having never laboured under any delusions that she had been anything more than the result of a fling, it was strangely wonderful for her assumptions to be smashed, and to find that her existence wasn't as unwelcome as she had long believed it would be to Gildarts. Tears trickled down her cheeks, before they began to flow freely, the weight of years of secrecy and assumptions washing away as she cried.

Naruto watched her cry, seeing that not only had she freed him from his own burden, but that he had in return also helped her.

"Should I warn the Master that Gildarts might be back sooner than expected?" He wondered aloud. An emotional Gildarts tended to be a destructive one. Naruto could recall a few memorable missions, years back, which ended with a stone fort being nothing more than dust. That was when Naruto had confided in Gildarts about his confusion of feelings towards the woman he loved still.

He still was reeling that his friend had a daughter. Gildarts was forty-five years old, just about old enough to be Naruto's own father, yet they had bonded over a bottle of whiskey, and those bonds were hard to break. He looked at Cana who through her tears was smiling, and knew that when Gildarts did make it back, well, Naruto sure didn't want to be in the vicinity of Magnolia.

He wondered how long it would take before it would occur to Cana that she would have a S-rank mage as a parent, one who would probably be overbearing at first, he wondered how Cana would react when Gildarts tried to force her to move into an apartment with him. He knew Gildarts quite well, so was confident in knowing that he would drive her crazy with trying to put in place restrictions at first. It kind of made Naruto wonder what his parents would have been like in raising him.

"Naruto," Cana spoke abruptly. "Thank you."

* * *

Jura Neekis looked to Ooba Babasaama. "Indeed, a new Wizard Saint has been appointed, Master. " He told the elderly woman who had asked for confirmation on what the Guild Master Weekly newsletter had said.

Ooba Babasaama opened her mouth wide and yelled loudly. "Did you lazy fools hear that? Did you all hear that? Fairy Tail got themselves another Wizard Saint, and what do we have? Jura. We have Jura. I want to see you working harder!"

Lyon Vastia lazily spoke up. "Chill a little. There is no way that Gray's Guild will defeat any of us! Most don't even have a Wizard Saint, Ooba Babasaama." The shirtless Ice mage pointed out from where he was lounging around.

Jura watched at the young man was picked up by the elderly Master, flung outside, minus his pants and shirt.

The Lamia Scale rapidly emptied after that, some grabbing hasty missions, others babbling promises to train until they couldn't move.

All except Jura.

"What of our guest?" Ooba asked calmly, any traces of her earlier passion gone, her attention focused entirely on Jura.

"Yet to wake up, Master. The injuries were too much for a quick recovery, survival was a surprise, if I am to be so bold to say as such. The huge muscular man shifted under the piercing gaze of the formidable old woman. "I recognise her, however, as belonging to the Rune Knights. She accompanied a squad to arrest Oracion Seis."

Footsteps alerted Jura that someone had entered the room.

Dressed in a blue nightdress, a thin dressing gown tied over it, was the curly brown-haired woman that he had recognised, and helped save only two days before. Unremarkable in appearance, she had curly brown hair that was unbrushed, and brown eyes. What made her remarkable was the strength in the brown eyes.

"My name is Tenten Steeling," she said quickly, leaning on a chair for support. "I have to get a message to Magnolia quickly, can you help me...again?"

Ooba complained loudly. "I thought you said she wasn't awake? Were you lying to me boy?" She looked at Jura expectantly, completely ignoring Tenten's request.

Jura patiently reassured the elderly woman that he hadn't. "Master, why do you not go and oversee the training taking place, to ensure that none decide to slack off in their pursuit of strengthening their minds and bodies." He suggested calmly. Jura pitied the younger members of Lamia Scale, it didn't stop him from convincing the Master to go on her way.

He then turned to the newly introduced woman. " I can relay a message to Makarov Dreyar, it isn't entirely correct in the usage of the lacrima, but your tone and the circumstances in which I found you belay urgency. Will that suffice?"

The brown-haired woman named Tenten nodded in relief. "He must warn Naruto Uzumaki that _the man _is after him."

Jura froze. "You mean the honourable new Wizard Saint is in danger?" Jura had met the man once before, and found the man agreeable, not that he had spoken to him. The way he had promised to aid the fugitive Jellal Fernandes had shown that he was a mage of honour. Jura knew exactly what he had to do. "Tell me everything, Miss Tenten." He requested softly, yet in a firm tone that invited no refusal.

"There isn't time for telling you everything, and it is Tenten," she was impatient as she answered Jura. "The man who defeated me can teleport with impunity, he could be in Magnolia now, and Naruto is in Magnolia!"

"Very well. Leave it to me, and once I have sent your message, we will set out to Magnolia together, if you have recovered enough." Jura said unthinkingly as he left the room swiftly.

Leaving the brown haired mage to exclaim loudly. "Wait...Wizard Saint?"


	9. Chapter 9

_A_uthor's Rambling:

More questions are answered in this chapter, others remain unanswered, and it has a lot of action. I've come down with this awful virus hitting my area, and so not feeling my best, I suspect I may be feverish, probably. I blame my mother, she was the first in my house to come down with it, and now I feel sick. Anyway, lots of Natsu love in this chapter. Now I am going back to bed, not feeling so good, so a nap is called for.

* * *

Blood trickled from her split lip, she wiped it as she staggered back up onto unsteady feet, throwing her arms out wide, staring death himself in his face, and laughing despite the fear that had taken hold of her. "Someone like you just wouldn't be able to understand. Keep throwing your magic at us, make us bleed, make us scream out in pain, but we'll just keep coming back for more, until we defeat you!" Cana Alberona defiantly stared straight ahead, the brunette trying to conceal her fear. _This is no mere mage, power rolls off him, and it isn't the nice kind! _Cana thought, trying to fight back the sense of helplessness that swept through her.

"My interest is limited only to Naruto Uzumaki, not in any of you, for you are mere blights in my path to meet him in battle once again." Glowing eyes were glaring out from under his hood, a scarf wrapped around his lower face didn't even muffle his bored voice. "You are resilient, that is what I can acredit to you, yet you are nothing against my power."

Natsu dropped into a crouch, a fanged grin spreading across his bruised and swollen face as he spoke. " You sure are really strong." He agreed with a nod. "It doesn't matter though. As long as we stand here together, not even someone like you can stand against us. Apart we just might be weak..."

"...Yet together we can overcome our weaknesses with the strengths of our guildmates. That is what it means to be a Fairy Tail mage!" Lucy Heartfilia finished despite the fear that was leeching colour from her face. _Naruto, I don't know you very well. That doesn't matter, don't turn back, whoever this man is, he wants you badly, so let your guildmates protect you this time!_ That was all Lucy could think, what she could hope, for she wasn't sure that even if they stood together that Fairy Tail could win.

Gray not one to be outdone pulled himself up from the ground. "I don't know who you are, don't really care, all I have to say to you is BRING IT ON!" Raising his arms he charged forwards, the rest of Fairy Tail following him, the air alive with magic as each mage began to draw on their own unique magic. Explosions rocketed the afternoon, the citizens of Magnolia fleeing towards the boundaries of Magnolia's walls.

None of them could spare attention to the still Makarov Dreyar. None of the could afford to remember the moment when he had shielded them all with his own Titan Magic expanded body from an attack by that man.

Magnolia was under attack, that was all they knew, and Fairy Tail was protecting them with everything that they had.

* * *

What was this feeling, the way his chest seemed to constrict, and a sense of dread was washing over him, what was this? Naruto Uzumaki shifted in his seat on the train, unable to get rid of this feeling, something felt wrong, and he didn't know what.

"This is breaking news coming direct from Magnolia! I repeat this is breaking news! Magnolia is under attack by an unknown assailant, it isn't looking good for Fairy Tail as they valiantly fight to protect the town, this unknown attacker took down Erza Scarlet within ten minutes. This is Narly Veetoz reporting direct from Magnolia -" The sounds of battle broke off the voice of the reporter. "- It is even worse, no matter how many of them attack, they are making the strongest Fiore Guild looking as if they are the weakest. Is this the end?" The transmission cut off then, and the other occupants of the cabin Naruto were in began to talk.

Naruto stood up. "Hold on guys! I'm on my way, show him the strength of our Guild, show this man the strength of Fairy Tail!" Just hold on!" Naruto pleaded, punching through the window of the train, jumping outside thoughtlessly, all he knew was that he had to get back to Magnolia. His body was reacting faster than his mind.

Yet how could he get there in time? He didn't have chakra any longer, no, he had lost that ability, despite many months of trying to find it within himself once he ended up in Earthland. It was what had driven him to adapting his old techniques into magical ones. Naruto was scared, not for himself, but for Fairy Tail. Knowing that he had brought this on them, led that man towards them, this was one sin that he could never forgive himself for. No atonement would make up for the loss of any of his guildmates.

_Uh, that was one long nap, it sure was, Naruto. _It was a voice that Naruto had never thought to hear again, it couldn't be possible, could it be? Could it be that not all of his old life had been lost. To answer him the voice rang through his mind again. _I've been slumbering for a long time. I'm sorry, Naruto. You've had a tough time without me, but I'm awake now, so let's go take that man down! Just like old times...my friend._

Tears welled in his eyes, streaming down his cheeks. "Kurama..." Naruto murmured softly, sniffing at the emotions that were taking hold of him.

An energy that felt so foreign after so many years flooded his system. _Are you willing to give up any chance of ever using chakra again? If I forcibly reawaken your chakra, then you won't be able to use it after this, your chakra system will be fried after so many years of disuse. Decide now. _Kurama told Naruto waiting patiently for an answer.

They both knew the answer, yet Naruto had to ask. "What about you?" If he lost the ability to use his chakra permanently, what would happen to Kurama, he was as much as a friend as those in Fairy Tail.

_I don't have any chakra anymore. All I have is my consciousness residing within you, so don't worry about me, stop wasting time, Naruto! Make your decision now! _The Nine Tailed Demon Fox cried out in exasperation at the delay in getting an answer.

"Do it!" Naruto answered without any second thoughts.

As it surged through his limbs, he began to run back along the train-track, back towards Magnolia.

* * *

Fairy Tail members were scattered amongst the rubble of buildings felled mostly by them.

"You stand alone now." The man responsible for all the destruction and defeat of the members of Fairy Tail said to Natsu, his voice sounding almost surprised. "You stand to fight once more, futile, but just as Naruto Uzumaki did seven years ago."

"I am not alone... Everyone's feelings... They support me... They are what give me the will to stand and fight!" Natsu Dragneel shouted in response. "It isn't futile, not as long as I'm still standing ready to fight." Fire exploded from him, sheathing him in an armour of fire, he stood staring at the cloaked man, canines seeming more prominent. "I feel stronger now." The pink haired Dragon-slayer commented as he raised his arm, flexing it, and standing straight. "Let me show you the power given to me by Igneel." He beckoned for the man to attack.

When he didn't, the pink haired teenager charged forwards instead, moving faster than before.

Gajeel raised his head, one arm trying to find leverage to raise him up. "Impossible..." the dark-haired man exclaimed as he watched the power levels of the other dragon- slayer rise to new heights. "Could that kid, could Natsu be strong enough to reach Dragon Force?" He asked aloud, mostly to himself as the pink haired teenager seemed to gain more dragon characteristics. Gajeel didn't know what to think, he had never reached such a pinnacle of Dragon Slayer Magic, yet what else could explain it?

"We have to help him," Max managed to murmur, clutching his ribs as he lay flat on his back. The Sand Magic user groaning out in pain as his attempt to get up only caused him more agony. "He's going to get himself killed like that."

"Cheh, let him fight alone, we'll be in his way," Gajeel told him firmly. "As unbelievable as it is, his power right now surpasses any that we can throw at that man. What you see is a Dragon Slayer at the pinnacle of Dragon Slayer magic! He's evolving to a level that you can't follow, for this is the power of DRAGONS!"

"Why couldn't he use it before, why didn't you use it?" Max asked before hissing in pain.

"That is because he can't use it. Natsu hasn't been able to invoke it by himself, he's relied on outside sources of power to awaken his true strength, as Gajeel says, right now Natsu surpasses any of us, it won't last for long though." Erza Scarlet spoke up, the red-haired mage crawling forwards towards the two other mages of Fairy Tail. "We have to trust in Natsu, our priority must be to secure the town, get our injuries treated. So that we can help Natsu."

Macao forced open a black eye. "Natsu has really grown from that little kid that walked through our doors, eh?" The older man grunted as he pulled himself up, using the bricks side of one of the few buildings that remained standing near him as a support to get himself on his feet. "I'm just glad that Romeo is with my ex-wife, he'll be safe with that harpy."

"Uhh, let's just stop talking, and get to work...my head hurts..uhh," Lucy called out from where she was sprinkled with dust and small chunks of a house that had fallen beside her, she audibly gritted her teeth, managing to get on her hands and knees, and then push herself to her feet once more, swaying slightly as she struggled to gain equilibrium. _Keep fighting on Natsu, we're counting on you!_ She thought her eyes trying to make out the two figures wrapped up in violent combat.

The flame armour was shielding him from the mist-like substance that spewed out from the body of his opponent. Yet it wouldn't withstand it for long, with each meeting of flames and mist, the flames were receding.

"Crimson Lotus: Fire Dragon's Fist," Natsu called out, pummeling his fists into the hooded man. Each punch exploded on impact burning away the man's cloak, eating away at the pale skin possessed by the man beneath the cloak.

In response the man pulled away, raising his arms, crossing them and bringing down invoked his own spell. "Dark Tomb." Bricks of magic formed, converging around Natsu, joining together brick by brick to form an actual cuboid. "Black Vice." He spoke again as the black bricks began to squeeze together around Natsu.

Natsu felt his life being squeezed from him.

_Igneel...lend me your strength...Father..please_

Blue flames exploded from the pink haired Dragon Slayer, as if his prayer to his father had truly been answered, the bricks of magic crumbling before his flames. The flames were losing colour, fading into white, and his magical power growing with each second that passed, this was the power of dragons. Transcending any mere mortal magic, this was the power of those who ruled the skies, who had made kingdoms tremble with a single step onto the ground, this was the son of Igneel claiming the power gifted to him by the Fire Dragon himself.

It was animalistic, unrestrained in its fiery waves, it was a power that could lay countries to waste, burn all creation to mere cinders. This was a power carefully concealed, hidden within a boy, it was the true power of Natsu Dragneel.

The son of Igneel roared and the ground itself began to crack, unstable buildings began to tremble, the sky filling with flying slates from the roofs. Scales began to form over his arms, tendrils of white flames licking against his unharmed skin, all his attention directed to the man who had invoked such rage and strong emotions that had pushed him beyond his limits.

His voice was a rumble. "They entrust to me their fighting spirit...so I will prove to them...prove to them my worth...I WILL DEFEAT YOU!"

He moved faster than any mere eye could see, a flaming halberd in hand, as he flew through the air towards the one who had provoked him so. The armour of flames reshaping into a dragon, one that was guarding Natsu as Igneel would do if he was physically there. Perhaps it was, maybe the dragon known as Igneel had sent a portion of his strength then and there, giving his child his strength. _You are my son, my child, my student, my heir...you are Natsu Dragneel...you are the SON OF IGNEEL. _Those words were echoing inside his mind, whether a product of his imagination, or truly the voice of his father, he didn't know, but it filled him with new determination.

He fought with the voices of many sounding in his ear, cheering him onwards, giving him their encouragement, and giving him the strength to fight. Natsu Dragneel had never felt so powerful, so fearless in the face of a greater foe.

Dropping from the sky more figures landed on the ground, cratering the once immaculate streets of Magnolia even further, all wearing red cloaks and standing behind the still unknown attacker.

"He hasn't come yet," the man said surprised. "I thought he would be here, you promised me that he would be here...Master Orochimaru."

One of the taller figures spoke, as Natsu was batted away, crashing into the ground, splintering the earth, creating a chasm that trapped him. "My words were that he had been sighted as being here, not that he would remain here, my young apprentice."

"I have long surpassed your power," Was what Orochimaru received in reply, a dismissal for claiming superiority over the cloaked man who had wrecked so much destruction on Magnolia.

"Now, now, Sasuke. That power you wield is what I gave to you, without it you would be nothing." Orochimaru responded, wagging long pale fingers at the newly named attacker of Magnolia. "You may be my greatest creation, but remember that it was I that created you."

Sasuke shot forwards, grabbing Orochimaru's neck, raising the man into the air, squeezing tightly. "That isn't my name...I have no name..I have no name!" He snarled enraged. His grip on the neck was iron-clad, he tightened it further. Orochimaru writhed as he tried to escape the hold his neck, the pale man's long fingers scratching the hand that held his neck.

It was for nothing, his neck was broken in an instant. Orochimaru fell to the ground, his body landing on the cloak that pooled out below him, he landed dead.

Turning to look at those who had accompanied Orochimaru. "You are now my disciples." He said simply before turning around, what remained of his cloak swinging with him, as he raised an arm to shield his face from the white flames that exploded before him. Standing a few feet away, Natsu Dragneel stood, none the worse from the attack that had left him trapped in a chasm below.

"If they work for you, then I guess they are also my opponents." Natsu surmised, showning no hint of fear, or even surprise at the turn of events. It was one thing for him to fight one extra powerful opponent, but joined by others, his chances of victory were diminished heavily.

"No, leave it to us!"

Natsu turned around to see a brown-haired woman racing towards him, followed by none other than Jura Neekis.

"What are-"

"Don't waste time," the woman cried out impatiently. "Leave the others to us, it is you who had the toughest opponent! Where is Naruto?"

"He left this morning," Natsu answered before rushing towards his target.

Jura looked at her, moving so that he took a position at her back. "I will guard your back, Tenten." He told her resolutely raising his hands as an earthen pillar shot off towards the nearest red cloaked figures.

"Just as I will guard yours, Jura." She answered in response as the air before her filled with a collection of her weapons.

The battlefield filled itself as more Fairy Tail mages, bandaged and unsteady on their feet surged back into the battle, tag-teaming each of the thirteen mages that had joined the battle against them. When one of them fell, another would push their way to take up their place.

Two of the winged-cats were pulling the defeated Fairy Tail members out of the field of battle, dragging them towards were the young blue haired girl was situated, her palms held out in preparation to treat the injuries to the best of her abilities.

She went ignored thanks to the efforts of Freed Justine. Standing guard, defending her if the need be, protecting the injured with his power.

Tenten twisted her body to avoid a flying disc of wind. It was swiftly that she lifted her leg and planted it firmly in the chest of the mage who had charged towards her, before elbowing another that had been aiming for Jura. Her face twisted in determination as she lost count of the number of attacks, or defensive movements she made.

Blood raced through her veins, her heart fighting to escape her chest, cuts, blood, and bruises meant nothing to her as she ignored her own condition in favour of fighting to survive. She hadn't recovered enough from her last battle, she knew it, her magical power had been completely drained, and her body had suffered through a lot of wear and tear, and this was the type of situation that needed her to be at her best.

Battle raged on.

* * *

Outside of Magnolia, Naruto could see lines of Rune Knights standing, and rage filled him. " What do you think you are doing out here. When the people who need you are in the town?" Inwardly he loathed to spare the time, yet they were blocking his way, and he didn't want to smash through his own allies if he could avoid it.

Not receiving an answer quick enough, he shook his head and darted towards the walls of Magnolia, his feet meeting the wall as he sprinted up it, jumping over the side into the town. He didn't pay heed to the shouts of those behind him, he hurtled through the streets of Magnolia. _I'm right here with you, Naruto. Don't think you are fighting alone._ Kurama spoke to him in encouragement.

He answered simply. "I know."

He followed the path of destruction, he couldn't spare a glance towards any of his fellow Fairy Tail members, even if it hurt him not to try to discover the extent of the damage done to them. Naruto knew he had to have faith that they were still alive, if he didn't, he didn't know what he would do, not when he had brought this upon them.

Wait, he had his chakra right now, didn't he?

For the first time in years, dozens of clones burst into existence, rushing away from Naruto. They knew what they had to do, seek out those that Naruto cared dearly about, and protect the mages of Fairy Tail just as Naruto himself was going to do.

He thundered forwards, instinct guiding him towards the man who had haunted his nightmares for years, a curious mix of rage and calmness taking hold of him. Naruto couldn't be raging, not if he was to fight at his best, he knew exactly what he had to do, for by now he could make out the valiantly fighting mages of not only Fairy Tail, but Tenten and Jura Neekis.

Years ago, it had been so long, he had been gifted with a spell, one that instinctively he knew he hadn't been able to use until now.

_This is one of the Legendary Spells of Fairy Tail. I entrust it to you, just as I entrust the safety of them all to you, protect them with this power, Naruto!_

Bright light burst from him as he brought his hands together.

The darkness that had crept up over Magnolia was destroyed as the light began to expand outwards.

No crevice went unnoticed by the light, it washed over many of the people, enclosing on only a certain few. Naruto stood tall, the light emanting from him, his torn coat being dragged away from his body, his eyes glowing as he stared straight ahead. _With this power, Master Makarov, I will protect them all, for no one can withstand the Great Magic of Fairy Tail, for this is the magic that you entrusted to me for this very purpose!_ He thought as the spell began to reach its final stages, and he intoned its name as he felt a lot of his magic being dragged out from him. "Fairy Law!"

The warming light enveloped those of Fairy Tail with its loving caress, for they were safe from its dangerous strength, it comforted them with its promise of protection. Those who had laid great harm on those of Fairy Tail were not immune to the effects, it ended their fights, for they couldn't continue fighting any longer. Before the might of a Legendary Fairy Tail Spell, they who had dominated fights became nothing.

It disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.

Naruto stared at his hands from where the spell had begun, looking at them in wonder, he had just cast one of the Three Sacred Magic's unique to Fairy Tail. Makarov had taught both Laxus and Naruto the spell, yet Naruto had never used it until now, he hadn't been able to use it. However, he now realised that it was only to be used to protect, not in the heat of battle.

He shook his head, trying to air his mind of the cobwebs that had seemed to form, he had more important things to be doing. That man had to be here somewhere, where was he, who had been fighting him? He ran forwards, past them all, until he came to a halt where none other than Natsu was giving a good fight.

Natsu, had the teenager been hiding this power all these years? Radiating a power as ancient as Kurama, the boy was covered in white fire, in other words, some of the hottest magical flames. He was beaten up, outmatched, yet the pink haired Dragon Slayer was still fighting onwards. As well as he had been doing, Naruto would have to interrupt the fight, the fact that this man hadn't been affected by his activation of Fairy Law had to mean that his power was so great that he had a way of cancelling it out.

Kurama was silent.

"Natsu, this fight is over for you." He said as he walked towards them, his voice pausing the fight, both the combatants turning to stare at him. "I've waited many years for this, go help the others round-up everyone, you'll be needed there." He told the boy, his voice brokering for no refusal, this was a moment that he had been waiting for, one that he had known would come.

For once in the time that Naruto had known the boy, he listened, nodding fiercely, his eyes conveying his wishes for Naruto to win. The strange white flames already beginning to regain colour, the waves of magical power beginning to waver, battle exhaustion claiming him now that he had time to rest.

"Naruto Uzumaki, you have come, " The man who had frequented his nightmares said to Naruto. Totally ignoring the presence of Natsu in favour of the man who had led him to Magnolia. There was only elation in his voice. It was a voice that was oddly familar to Naruto, he didn't quite know how.

"Of course. Who are you?" He answered, staring at the man before him, his breathing unsteady, did he want answers? He didn't quite know, to unmask this fiend, to put a face to him, he didn't know if it would help at all to ease it.

It had to be done, he had to end it here, he knew it to be so, yet could he put to rest the lives of his comrades? Would this deciding battle let them rest peacefully, as their killer died at Naruto's hand? He was fighting for more than the justice of the fifty lives lost in senseless slaughter, now he was fighting for the hurts done to each and every member of Fairy Tail, and the people of Magnolia who had fled the town.

Naruto couldn't be fighting for his own sake, this was far bigger than himself, this was a battle not as Naruto Uzumaki.

It was a battle as a...Wizard Saint.

"I am no-one, nobody at all." It was that what was given in return to Naruto's question. It wasn't an answer, yet he had suspicious that it was in fact the truth, or according to the belief of the man before him true.

It frustrated him.

"Tell me your name? You want to fight me so much, tell me your name?"

"I have no name, a God needs no name!"

A God? It couldn't be, surely it wasn't, or was Nagato doomed to such a fate in every world? He couldn't help it, when he began to feel pity, staring towards the man he hated, was it that his most hated enemy was simple a man who had lost things, became twisted as he fell to the darkness born from desperation, loss, and anger at his own inability to save people?

He shook his head, he couldn't let pity dictate his actions.

This had to end today.

"Enough words, even if you are a God, the result will be the same. It ends here!" Naruto bellowed out, as he instinctively rushed forward to attack. A sword appearing in his hand, he slashed it forwards, he could afford no more hesitance. His heart must not doubt his actions, else his blade would grow dull._ End this quickly, it is happening far sooner than I had anticipated, within six minutes, your chakra system will be burnt out...Naruto...you might not win this...the shock...it might incapicate you._

"It is time for you to die, it is, isn't it?" His voice was confused, as he raised a hand, showing burnt skin, yet no concern over the state of his arm. " I killed you before, did I not, why are you here?"

A blast of magical energy shot towards Naruto, he tried to block it with his blade, which became nothing but melted slag, it did the trick though. Unharmed he took a few brief micro-seconds to work out what was going on with the guy, what was going on with his opponent, he seemed out of it. Several of his clones appeared at his command, standing behind him, he set to work to forming one of the most deadly techniques in his arsenal as a shinobi. _Minus me, I was far more deadly. _Kurama saw fit to interrupt with commentary.

"Futon: Rasenshuriken!" The call was followed by a bell-like screech as it raced towards the man.

The last words of the man who proclaimed himself a God was a question poised to a dead man. "Master Orochimaru, I'm confused, why is he still here?" The first thing to be shredded was his cloak, already hanging in tatters, yet when Naruto waited patiently for the technique to end, his quarry was gone.

Teleportion magic!

His fist smashed against the ground, cracking it slightly, as he fell to his knees, looking at the scraps of shredded cloak that lay where his opponent had stood, unable to comprehend the man who had escaped his grasp. It wasn't fair! He was left with more questions as to the identity of the man, he had grown stronger over the years, the man had displayed nothing of the abilities that had so thoroughly thrashed Naruto years ago.

It was the same man, he knew it, yet he didn't know what the hell was going on.

The mention of Orochimaru was worrying. Until now, there had been nothing of a Orochimaru, so Naruto had just expected him not to exist, or perhaps be doing something like teaching. If Orochimaru was involved, then it spelled something more insidious than Naruto could ever comprehend. The twisted man could be up to no good.

He stood up, wincing as something within him began to burn, he knew what it was, just as Kurama had warned him, the ability that had only been reawakened hours before, was now lost to him forever.

Could he mourn for an ability he had believed lost for years? Could he feel sadness for something that he had found, only to lose again?

It was Kurama who pulled him out of his thoughts with some well-timed advice. Another_ time, Naruto. There isn't a point to looking at what was supposed to happen, not when it didn't, instead look to the present. You've changed quite a bit, yet that kid that released me from the hatred that enchained me, he's still within you. That kid is lost, but you can find him again. _Having his friend with him again, it was strange, yet not unwelcome. Not in his wildest dreams could he had envisioned having Kurama with him, the Take-Over Soul wasn't his Kurama.

"Naruto! Come quickly, it's the Master, he's not waking up!"

Naruto turned to the speaker, to see it was Gray speaking, tears splashing down his cheeks.

"What? Master Makarov isn't..." Fear gripped him, it couldn't be like Gray said, the Master was simply tired? Not comatose as Gray was suggesting, he moved quickly, following the younger boy, forgetting anything else but Makarov Dreyar.

Surrounding the bed, tearful members looked on, staring down at the still elderly man.

"Master Makarov..." Naruto trailed off unable to finish the sentence, he wanted to let tears fall and join them in their vigil. Curling his hands into fists, held by his side, he turned away from the man, staring at those around the bed. "Get Porlyusica here now! Get all injured situated in the Infirmary, get them treated, and the rest of you who are able, I want you all getting to work to rebuilding Magnolia."

"What about the prisoners?" Max interjected referring to those who had been downed by Fairy Law.

"We don't have any, they escaped, just like that first guy," Gray spat out with bitterly. "We'll get them next time, what they did, invading Magnolia-"

"Don't dwell on it, that isn't your responsibility to worry about it, leave it to me. " Naruto interrupted him. His entire body was aching, he knew that once he sat down it wouldn't be possible for him to get back up, so he had to make sure everyone was occupied. It would have been the job of the Master, so in his place, Naruto would do his best. "Leave it all to me, this attack won't go unanswered, I will hunt them down, they will be brought to justice! I promise it to all of you! On my pride as a mage of Fairy Tail!"

"It was you that used Fairy Law?" Max asked suddenly, looking at Naruto intently.

Naruto nodded. "It was the only way I could think of helping you all at the same time, it didn't do much for helping Natsu though, how is he by the way?"

Max grimaced.

Gray shrugged. "He's totally out of it, whatever happened with him, well, he exploded with power. Gajeel said something about Dragon Force, no matter what it is called, it was pretty amazing coming from a guy like him."

"Enough talking. " Naruto decided, rubbing his temple wearily. "I'm going to go speak with the Rune Knights, and see about getting construction started, we'll need to rebuild the damaged areas, which was fairly limited. Impressive really. I'd have thought you'd have ended up levelling the entire town."

He moved to walk away before being stopped by Gray.

"Who was that man? He was asking for you, he knew your name, and it was you that he wanted."

Naruto paused before answering. "I don't know."

* * *

Naruto glared at the Mayor. "Master Makarov is badly hurt, he got hurt from protecting Magnolia, so he can't speak to you. "

Undeterred the woman pushed him further. "We deserve a right to know what happened, my people are scared to return, it was a miracle that there were no casualties." She was self righteous about having the right to know. The Mayor did deserve to know, it just wasn't the right time to demand answers, not when there was work to be done. "I wish to speak to Master Makarov."

He grit his teeth. "Look, it had nothing to do with Fairy Tail, they acted against a threat, they don't have any connection to what happened, other than saving your lives. I've taken charge of getting everyone apprised of the situation, but your demanding it right now when there is more important things to be done isn't you doing your job. Magnolia is safe to be returned to, there has been no major structural damage to the houses that stand, and Fairy Tail mages are already working to clear the rubble of those that didn't survive the battle." He stared at the woman, begging her with his eyes to stand down, surely she could see what had to be done.

Thankfully she wasn't a stupid woman. "Who am I speaking to?" She enquired calming down a bit.

"Er, Naruto Uzumaki is my name, Rune Knight Commander, of the Ten Wizard Saints, and technically former Fairy Tail mage, according to the Council. "

Her eyes narrowed. "I know your name, yet I wasn't aware of you being a Wizard Saint," She paused before shaking her head. "It doesn't matter, all that matters as you said before is getting things set to right. I'll trust that you are acting on behalf of Fairy Tail, and the Council."

Naruto nodded in relief at her easy cooperation now.

"Will you be willing to go on lacrima-vision with me to reassure the populace? Give a statement of Fairy Tail running off the attackers, be sure to bring up the casualties, if you don't then people will inevitably try and bring up lawsuits. It would be in bad taste if they did after everyone was made aware of injuries that were taken while protecting them." The woman was all business as she dictated to Naruto, rather than him telling her what had to be done.

He found he didn't mind, he didn't particularly want to do it, however, he could see the wisdom in what she suggested.

She surveyed his torn up clothes approvingly. "You look battered, dirty, like you've been fighting valiantly. Let's get this done, and then we can see about getting temporary housing for those who lost their homes."

Fighting back a wince as the pain within him intensified he just went along with what she was saying.

He was dragged along by the woman, who was already shouting orders to numerous aides, that had seemed to swarm out from nowhere.


End file.
